Valérie Plante on Tuesday called on the Quebec government to “unblock” the issue of portable cameras for police officers, while the implementation project is several years behind schedule.
The mayor of Montreal was re-elected in 2021 by promising that the officers of the Police Service of the City of Montreal (SPVM) would be equipped with them the following year. Three years later, the case is still paralyzed.
Portable cameras, “I continue to think that it is relevant and it is necessary,” said Valérie Plante on Tuesday, on the sidelines of an SPVM report. “Where it gets stuck [ou en tous cas, là d’où on attend des nouvelles], it is at the level of the Ministry of Justice. We really need to ensure that the evidence can be used in court. »
“It has to unblock,” she added. “We are here, we are waiting, we are partners with the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Public Security who have taken leadership in this matter. »
A few dozen minutes earlier, police chief Fady Dagher had also affirmed his support for portable cameras, without however committing to a precise timetable.
“I don’t have a date for the cameras,” he said. “If I had a crystal ball…”
The portable camera is “an important tool”, but is not “the panacea” for solving the issues of relations between police officers and the community, he added.