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Montreal’s police force is forming a specialized division to tackle the rise in gun violence following a slew of shootings in the city.

A squad of 20 officers from the force’s organized crime and homicide units will investigate crimes involving firearms, make arrests and try to take guns out of circulation.

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“It’s important that we send a clear message,” Inspector André Durocher said. “People with guns are not welcome here. Those who use them will find a police officer on their case very quickly.”

The new squad will use targeted investigations and the aid of citizens to apprehend individuals linked to gun-related incidents, Durocher said.

“As soon as a gun is used, all resources will be employed to find the people involved.”

The official launch of the division was announced Thursday, a day after a 26-year-old man died after being shot in a downtown hotel room. It was the 18th homicide of the year and the fourth shooting incident to hit the city in 48 hours. There were also at least three other shootings the week before, including a shooting at a party in Anjou last Saturday night in which one man was killed and three injured, two of them seriously.