The Montreal Police Department (SPVM) has just lost the contract to monitor Montreal-Trudeau Airport to the Sûreté du Québec (SQ).
The turnaround puts an end to 22 years of control by the Montreal police over this critical infrastructure. Around thirty SPVM officers are working on site.
“After analyzing the proposals submitted and based on a precise evaluation grid, a clear choice was made on the Sûreté du Québec, a renowned and recognized police force,” Aéroports de Montréal said in a press release. “As with many major files, the evaluation process was reviewed by an external ethics officer to confirm the objectivity of the approach as well as the equal treatment of the parties concerned.”
“I am pleased to announce that following a call for tenders, the Sûreté du Québec has been awarded the contract for police services at Montréal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL) for a period of 5 years, starting on 1er January 2025,” indicates an internal message sent to SQ employees and obtained by The Press.
“A new unit, the Montréal-Trudeau Airport Unit, will be created to provide the service,” the message states. “Positions will be posted in the coming days.”
The SPVM did not immediately react to the announcement. The Montreal Police Brotherhood (FPPM) did not hesitate to denounce the decision.
“It’s a political decision. The dice were loaded from the start. The SPVM was invited to a dinner of idiots,” attacked President Yves Francœur, pointing out that the managers of Aéroports de Montréal in charge of security are former SQ police officers. “We’re throwing away 22 years of expertise and experience.”
Mr. Francœur argued that the SQ’s ability to deploy a tactical team or a large number of police officers to the airport was not comparable to that of the SPVM.