The return of the festivals announces an increase in security needs in Montreal. On the occasion of the Jazz Festival, we followed the SPVM security service, which faces the challenge of maintaining order while thousands of spectators converge on the city center to celebrate.
Posted at 6:00 a.m.
The 42e Montreal International Jazz Festival opened Thursday at 9:30 p.m. with a concert-event by Tash Sultana. But a few blocks from the big gathering in the heart of the entertainment district, the evening started much earlier for the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM). In its headquarters on rue Saint-Urbain, the organization gathered its troops at 5 p.m. to launch the security device.
The various agents were distributed near the six scenes, according to a plan established in advance by the officers. “Each position has a specific role,” explains Inspector Simon Durocher, who oversees the security service during the festival. The officers are responsible for setting up and coordinating the teams on site. Officers carry out patrols two by two or in groups of four in a given sector. As for the cadets, they provide traffic on the pedestrian crossings.
A part of the unexpected
The number of staff varies according to the place, time and type of show, which determines the expected attendance. But a part of unforeseen remains, indicates the inspector Durocher. He cites the great spectacle of the National Day on the Place des Festivals, where the number of spectators rose from 400 to several thousand in a few hours with the end of the bad weather.
PHOTO PHILIPPE BOIVIN, THE PRESS
Gathered at the SPVM headquarters, the officers are distributed in different sectors to ensure the security of all of downtown Montreal.
The order service is also overhauled in the light of previous years. At the end of each event, two officers are responsible for writing a feedback report that will allow the service offer to be adjusted based on the incidents observed.
“The security service is no longer the same as it was 10 years ago, and will not be the same in 10 years,” said Inspector Durocher, who is delighted with the progress made by the SPVM to ensure security. festivals.
A vigilance constant
Despite the family and relaxed atmosphere that reigns on the Place des Festivals, SPVM officers, recognizable by their fluorescent yellow vests, must remain alert to the slightest suspicious incident. “It’s an event that takes place on the public highway,” insists Simon Durocher.
PHOTO PHILIPPE BOIVIN, THE PRESS
Inspector Simon Durocher (right) supervises the SPVM security service in the Quartier des spectacles in Montreal. On the photo, the members of the SPVM, patrol in the rue Sainte-Catherine, last Thursday.
The most frequent incidents? Conflicts between spectators, often amplified by the presence of alcohol on the site. And suspicious packages, which notably triggers the intervention of members of the Anti-Terrorism and Emergency Measures Section (SAMU).
When a patrol observes a suspicious event, it notifies the inspector or his sergeant. However, it is very rare for an incident to lead to a police intervention as such. “Presence is the first level of use of force,” says Inspector Durocher, recalling the deterrent aspect of the deployment of officers.
“Often, there are evenings with 20,000 or 25,000 people where nothing happens,” agrees Sergeant Daniel Tétreault, whose last memory of a violent event at a festival dates back several years. However, he insists on the importance of “staying in support”, stressing that sometimes all it takes is a “spark” for the situation to degenerate.
A work collective
The SPVM works closely with the event organizers. “We are not the promoter, but we are the promoter of safety,” explains Simon Durocher. In the case of the Jazz Festival, security and search agents were recruited and assigned to fixed posts near the various stages.
PHOTO PHILIPPE BOIVIN, THE PRESS
Police deployed on the Place des Festivals, Thursday
Festival organizers are also responsible for maintaining a security corridor allowing SPVM agents to intervene in the event of a medical problem among spectators.
Simon Durocher points out the need for “sound manpower management” so that the police can carry out all of their usual missions, including on festival nights. “Festive events, there will be all year round”, recalls the inspector, considering that “the service of order should not have an impact on the services given to citizens in the various neighborhood stations”.
In festivals as in its daily missions, according to him, the SPVM’s objective remains the same: to ensure the citizens of Montreal “the most pleasant and safe experience possible”.