Number of assaults reported in Montreal metro rises 15 per cent in one year, to 726

MONTREAL — The number of assaults reported in Montreal’s metro system rose by 15 per cent in 2025 compared to the year prior.

Police data shows there were 726 cases of assault in 2025, up from 631 in 2024 and 652 in 2023.

Cmdr. Angélique Beaudet says the rise in cases was driven by a spike in reported assaults in January 2025 for reasons that are not totally clear, adding that the rest of the year was largely stable.

The number of assaults in 2025 was higher than at any point since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which led to a major drop in ridership.

Police say the data before 2020 was collected in a different way and therefore not comparable to later years.

Beaudet says despite the spike in reported assaults, the Montreal metro remains safe and incidents of violence are mainly isolated.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 25, 2026.

The Canadian Press