The Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) announced on Wednesday that it was partially postponing its plan to reduce the number of neighborhood stations, three weeks after having publicly revealed its existence.
Posted at 4:47 p.m.
Updated at 9:45 p.m.
The organization explained in an internal statement obtained by The Press, Wednesday afternoon, that it “postpones its approach to external consultations” on its reform.
“The SPVM has decided to temporarily postpone the continuation of external consultations relating to the reflection on its service offer and its police model, indicates the organization. The SPVM will call on the Commission de la sécurité publique de la Ville de Montréal to specify the terms of external consultations surrounding the continuation of this reflection project. »
The police specify that the internal consultations, which began several months ago, will continue.
A few minutes later, the organization issued a more cryptic public press release, which did not mention the suspension of the reform project. It limits itself to indicating that the SPVM “will ask the Commission de la sécurité publique (CSP) of the City of Montreal to establish the terms and conditions surrounding the public consultations that will be carried out as part of its reflection on its service offer”.
The SPVM did not respond to a request for comment from The Press.
The Montreal Police Brotherhood declined our interview request.
“Leaving the structure”
Police chief Sylvain Caron triggered an outcry in early January, evoking his desire to put a cross on the neighborhood police model that has prevailed in Montreal for 25 years. He claimed that the current model was too costly in terms of human and financial resources.
“If we maintain the current situation of 30 neighborhood stations on the island of Montreal, there will be a shortage of 250 police officers,” he said. Currently I am maintaining buildings and putting police in buildings […], when my police should be on the road. »
“We have to get out of the structure we are in now if we want to survive,” he added. We are everywhere on the territory and, at the same time, we are nowhere. »
Mr. Caron then testified before the elected members of the Commission on Finance and Administration of the City of Montreal, responsible for reviewing all municipal services. An elected official from the opposition asked him to commit not to closing a police station in the next few years, which prompted the police chief to take the opposite path and announce his colors.
On Wednesday, the opposition welcomed the fact that the police are turning to elected officials in Montreal.
“We are satisfied that the Public Security Commission will be involved in the decision surrounding the overhaul of neighborhood stations and the coverage plan, as we requested and which had already been unanimously agreed in December 2020” , spokesman Abdelhaq Sari said in an email. The elected official criticized the way this reform was announced, then the way the mayor reacted to it.
For three weeks, Valérie Plante has argued both that Chef Caron has the right to propose ideas and that Montrealers are very attached to their neighborhood posts.
— With the collaboration of Daniel Renaud, The Press
Meeting with the “father” of the neighborhood police
Police Chief Sylvain Caron met this week with the “father” of the current model of the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) to discuss his plans for reform, learned The Press. Jacques Duchesneau, his predecessor from 1994 to 1998, went to the headquarters of the organization on Tuesday. In a telephone interview, the ex-policeman and ex-MP indicated that he was at peace with the project and “delighted with the meeting”. “The local police, I don’t think they question that, said Mr. Duchesneau, in a telephone interview. This model lasted 25 years. It’s normal that we adapt: the reality is very different than when I was director. »
The SPVM staff was asking questions, he continued. “There is no new model yet” decided, he said. Mr. Duchesneau told them: “Don’t think that such a major change will be achieved by snapping your fingers. We, it took us five years. »
By email, the SPVM confirmed the meeting. ” The encounter [de mardi] therefore aimed to explore possible solutions to define the local police of today and tomorrow. This meeting was very rewarding and the SPVM is grateful,” said the SPVM.