Montreal police have a new initiative to address gun violence in Montreal. At a joint press conference at City Hall on Monday, Mayor Valérie Plante and SPVM Deputy Director Vincent Richer announced the launch of a special forum on armed violence.

This forum will "bring together institutional and community decision-makers to make joint commitments based on a concerted strategy," according to an SPVM press release.

The SPVM will meet with community organizers in a series of meetings this December, and the two-day forum in January "will be an opportunity to find concrete solutions by taking into account the mission, expertise and issues of each partner involved in the fight against gun violence," the release states.

In the press conference, Richer underscored that Montreal is still a safe city despite recent incidents of violence. Compared to other cities in North America, Montreal remains statistically "safe," he said.

Both he and Plante said officials need to address access to and demand for firearms.

"As a police service, we work on the offer and we have to work on the demand also," Richer said. "That's the part where the forum comes into play — working on the demand."

The mayor has repeatedly called for action on the accessibility of guns.

"You can get it by mail; you can make those guns if you have the right printer," she said, expressing hope that the upcoming forum will be an opportunity for experts and community members to weigh in on the root causes of violence.

Plante reiterated her desire for Canada to completely ban handguns.

She also said that crime is the result of systemic issues and disparities in quality of life, public infrastructure, housing and job access, for example.

"It's a time for us as a society here in Quebec to also question why some people are choosing to join criminalized groups."