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The same way cockroaches dance around after the exterminator leaves, social problems continue to plague Cote-des-Neiges--three years after a city crackdown on property code violations.

Besides being one of Montreal's poorest neighbourhoods, Cote-des-Neiges is prone to crime. In 1997, 11 fires were set on Barclay, two Harvey's employees were killed, and a man was beaten up and set on fire on a rooftop.

"When all those fires happened, they identified all the buildings without locks and they were supposed to put locks on the doors. That didn't happen," says Kathy Enright of the Barclay-Goyer-Bedford Neighbourhood Association (BGBNA).

"The buildings without front door locks are one of our main concerns," Enright told the Mirror. Of 40 buildings without locking main entrances, she said, at least 15 are being used for prostitution and drugs. The BGNBA's Leith Hamilton said that easy access into the buildings is a sign of "landlord neglect" and that prostitutes will enter and solicit clients, or in some cases even perform sex in back stairwells.

An article on March 29th in the Gazette reported that some residents are becoming increasingly concerned with prostitution in the area, but that police felt the problem wasn't severe. "We think the link between locked doors and crime exists in other parts of the city," said Hamilton, "but we're the first to push the city about it." Last Saturday night, four of 12 buildings in Cotes-des-Neiges checked by the Mirror were unlocked, but no prostitution was observed. : --Craig Segal

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