Montreal | The SPVM fails to increase its workforce in 2022

Despite 208 new hires since the beginning of the year, there are now 27 fewer police officers at the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) than a year ago, due to 235 retirements and resignations that took place in 2022.

Montreal’s objective, announced last August, of hiring 282 additional police officers before the end of the year has therefore not been achieved. Worse, we end up with a decrease in the number of agents instead of an increase.

The administration of Valérie Plante, the opposition to the city hall as well as the Fraternity of the policemen and policewomen of Montreal engaged in a war of figures during the last months about the personnel of the SPVM.

The Brotherhood and the opposition claimed that there was a decrease in the net number of agents, while the administration assured the contrary.

“Although the total assessment can only be made at the end of the year, the SPVM’s projections indicate that at the end of 2022, the net number of police officers within its teams will have increased compared to November 2021”, indicated the City in a press release issued in August.

Difficult recruitment

Shortly after, the Government of Quebec announced financial assistance to Montreal of 250 million over five years to reinforce the police presence, due to the increase in violence linked to firearms. This plan aims in particular to add 450 police officers to the SPVM.

But recruitment efforts are hampered by a shortage of candidates.

“In addition to the usual recruitment campaigns, we should mention, among others, the Agent de change campaign, launched in 2021, or the Diversity in uniform event, aimed at promoting the recruitment of people from diverse backgrounds, as well as the recruitment activity Place Women’s. In addition, cohorts dedicated to the SPVM have also been set up at the École nationale de police du Québec, ”indicates the police department, in a response sent by email following our questions.

The head of public security on the executive committee of the City of Montreal, Alain Vaillancourt, assures that the funds received from Quebec for the hiring of staff will be put to use starting in 2023. In a written statement, he says he is good hope that the measures to come, including the cohorts for the SPVM at the École nationale de police du Québec and the arrival of new police chief Fady Dagher, will enable the City to achieve its hiring objectives.

During the last meeting of the city council on Monday, the head of security for the official opposition, Abdelhaq Sari, denounced the fact that the Plante administration was not succeeding in making police positions attractive in Montreal.

Absenteeism and vacancies

In addition to having trouble finding new officers, the SPVM has to deal with absenteeism rates varying between 20% and 30% due to sick leave or injury among its officers. This is one of the reasons for the many overtime hours in the service.

The acting director of the SPVM, Sophie Roy, indicated at the beginning of the month that there were 250 to 300 vacant positions, in addition to these absences. Police officers must therefore work overtime, paid from 150% to 200% of their salary.

More than $61 million in overtime was paid to police officers in 2022, while the amount anticipated for this expense was $28 million, the budget documents reveal.

In the City’s 2023 budget, SPVM funding is up $63 million, or just over 8%, to $787.1 million. This is the largest expense item for Montreal.