The Régie intermunicipale de police Thérèse-De Blainville (RIPTB), which serves the municipalities of Boisbriand, Lorraine, Rosemère, and Sainte-Thérèse, released its 2024 annual report highlighting both operational challenges and community-focused achievements.
Leadership Changes
One of the year’s most significant moments was the retirement of Director Francis Lanouette after 32 years of service. Lanouette, who had led the RIPTB since 2015, was recognized for advancing community policing, developing intelligence-led strategies, and forging partnerships, including with First Nations police services. He was succeeded by Luc Larocque, confirmed as director in November 2024, who had previously held leadership roles across all divisions.
Key Operations and Divisions
The RIPTB, comprising 187 employees and 12 cadet police officers, operates through three main divisions: territory surveillance, criminal investigations, and operational support.
- Territory Surveillance: Patrolling 24/7, officers addressed urgent calls, carried out targeted road checks, and prioritized mental health interventions. Agents of proximity focused on vulnerable populations, reinforcing a model of community policing.
- Criminal Investigations: Teams handled cases ranging from general crimes and narcotics to domestic violence. Investigators also contributed to regional anti-cannabis, anti-organized crime, and anti-corruption units.
- Operational Support: Officers focused on youth prevention, school-based interventions, neighborhood patrols, and commercial safety, including a renewed partnership with Place Rosemère to reduce theft and fraud.
Notable Incidents and Initiatives
- Fire Evacuation: On February 29, officers evacuated residents from a Boisbriand apartment building engulfed in smoke, rescuing a mobility-impaired woman without injury.
- Hypertrucage Awareness: In March, RIPTB warned about “deepfake” sexual images created by youth, noting their potential classification as child pornography under Canadian law.
- E-Scooter Safety Campaign: In July, the RIPTB and its four municipalities launched Quebec’s first municipal campaign on safe use of electric scooters, emphasizing helmets, speed limits, and road sharing.
- Blood Drive: The RIPTB exceeded its target by collecting 63 blood donations, potentially benefiting nearly 190 patients.
- Opération Père Noël: Officers contributed to a province-wide initiative that distributed more than 30,000 gifts to children from vulnerable families.
- Youth Rehabilitation: The RIPTB participated in the opening of a new rehabilitation center in Sainte-Thérèse, designed to accommodate up to 90 youths in difficulty.
Cadet officers were also active in 2024, completing more than 7,200 site visits, attending 124 community events, and conducting over 550 interventions.
Statistics and Trends
The report shows mixed results across operational data:
- Emergency Calls: Calls rose to 53,571 in 2024, an increase linked partly to flooding in August.
- Mental Health Interventions: Social intervention cases increased by 8% to 637, with most related to disturbed mental states. Suicide attempts, however, decreased by 22%.
- Traffic Safety: Road accidents declined by 5% to 354, and impaired driving incidents dropped by 22%.
- Crime: Overall crime rose by 15%, reaching 2,814 cases. Property crimes saw the sharpest increase, driven by fraud (notably false representatives and “grandparent” scams) and break-ins. Auto theft, however, decreased significantly.
By municipality, crime rose sharply in Boisbriand (+21%) and Sainte-Thérèse (+20%), while Lorraine saw a 34% increase. Rosemère recorded a 5% decrease, mainly in crimes against persons and traffic-related offences.
Looking Ahead
The RIPTB emphasized that many increases in crime mirror broader provincial and national trends, particularly fraud-related offences. Despite this, decreases in road accidents and impaired driving were seen as indicators of successful prevention efforts.
The report concluded by reaffirming priorities: ongoing officer training, support for vulnerable populations, and collaboration with municipalities and community partners to maintain safe living environments across its 57-square-kilometer jurisdiction, home to about 80,000 residents.
