Correctional officers at Saint-Jérôme prison have been victims of serious threats from street gangs. The police are even trying to find out if some of them were chased outside the walls of the establishment.
According to information obtained by our Bureau of Investigation and the JE show, four incidents occurring in one week raise fears for the safety of correctional officers.
Late Wednesday evening, the car of a detention center employee was targeted with a Molotov cocktail. The radio station CIME also broadcast images of the start of the fire on the hood of the sedan.
The suspect was arrested by police shortly after in Saint-Jérôme.
Gas cans
Two other people were intercepted 24 hours later inside the perimeter of the prison located at Porte des Laurentides.
According to our information, they were in possession of cans of gasoline.
They too were stopped by the establishment’s patrol officers before they committed their misdeed. One of them allegedly confessed to having been paid by a sponsor to intimidate peace officers according to a source close to the case.
Criminals at his door
Saturday evening, another employee notified the police of an incident that could put her safety at risk.
A suspicious car was seen near her home in Mirabel and one of its passengers allegedly tried to force the door of her vehicle.
In the hours preceding the event, she was allegedly insulted by an individual not far from her place of residence.
Its occupants were reportedly arrested and known to the police.
Street gangs
At least two of these crimes were allegedly ordered from within the walls, two sources confirmed. These target two detainees linked to blue street gangs.
The two prisoners reportedly had a disagreement with correctional officers from Saint-Jérôme after being transferred there.
“You haven’t seen anything in Saint-Jérôme” one of them is said to have said to the guards in a threatening tone.
The gestures of intimidation towards the guards allegedly occurred after several seizures of deliveries of drones and homemade weapons inside the walls.
“Events like these must not go unpunished,” said the president of the union of peace officers in correctional services of Quebec. “Our leaders must act”, concludes Mathieu Lavoie.
The investigation was transferred to the Sûreté du Québec, which is trying to find out if the events of the last week are all linked.
However, information leaked from the Ministry of Public Security, prison managers in Quebec, suggests that the intrusion on the grounds of the guard which occurred on Saturday would be treated as an isolated event.
Sunday evening, the Minister of Public Security, François Bonnardel denounced these threats.
“These acts of intimidation against correctional services officers are unacceptable. The police are investigating so that those responsible can be brought to justice for their actions,” he said.
Mr. Bonnardel also indicated that “additional security measures have been put in place in recent days at the Saint-Jérôme detention establishment.”
Psychological support is also offered to employees affected by these events, maintains the minister.