Montreal police officers are going through difficult times: there was a “record” of 78 resignations last year and no less than twenty more since the start of this year.
“Honestly, it’s difficult,” said the president of their union, Yves Francoeur, in a parliamentary committee at the National Assembly on Tuesday morning, where he denounced the new ethical sanctions that the government wants to impose in Bill 14. .
However, according to what the president of the Montreal Police Brotherhood has suggested, its members are already under too much pressure and these sanctions would only add to it.
He said consultations with the five psychologists in the police assistance program increased by 56% between 2017 and 2021.
Bill 14 would change the role of the Police Ethics Committee, which would become a tribunal.
“It goes beyond the bounds,” said Mr. Francoeur regarding the sanctions.
He rejects, for example, the imposition of sanctions such as a medical examination, an assistance program, community involvement and a social immersion course.
These are measures that “handle the workers”, which “treat the police unfairly and treat them like criminals”.
According to Mr. Francoeur, this does not come under an ethical sanction.
Random police stops
In addition, he warned the Minister of Public Security, François Bonnardel, who should provide “guidelines” on random police stops, if the bill is adopted.
This type of arrest, condemned by the Court because associated with “racial profiling”, is nevertheless necessary to fight against street gangs, suggested Mr. Francoeur.
“The line is very thin between the work of criminal intelligence and the supervision of the practice” of the arrest, warned Mr. Francoeur.
“To frame it too much in the context of the current violence” in Montreal is harmful, mentioned the president of the union.
The police must do their job and that’s what “90% of the population” asks to live in safety, insisted Mr. Francoeur.
“Citizens are asking for active and proactive police officers. »