Le Service de police de la ville de Montréal (SPVM) fait une fois de plus face à une vague de démissions sans précédent, selon le président de la Fraternité des policiers et policières de Montréal. Alors que la pandémie de COVID-19 continue de causer des pressions et des défis pour les forces policières à travers le pays, le SPVM subit une perte considérable de personnel. Dans cet article, nous allons examiner les raisons derrière ces démissions, les conséquences pour la sécurité publique et les solutions proposées pour y remédier.
The president of the Fraternité des policiers et policières de Montréal, Yves Francoeur, has criticized the proposed new ethical sanctions in Bill 14, stating that his members are already under too much pressure and that these sanctions would only add to it. Francoeur rejects the imposition of sanctions such as medical exams, aid programs, community engagement, or social immersion as they are not ethical sanctions and treat police officers as if they were delinquents. The proposed Bill 14 would modify the role of the Police Ethics Committee, turning it into a tribunal. The bill would require the minister to establish guidelines for police stop and search within two months of the law’s official entry into force, with police facing disciplinary sanctions for non-compliance.
The Montreal Police Department has warned that a law would not be sufficient to end racial profiling by police forces. In October 2020, Superior Court Judge Michel Yergeau ordered the end of random police stops, stating that they did constitute racial profiling and violated the rights of those affected. Despite this, Francoeur has argued that such interceptor practices were necessary to combat street gangs, and the Caquiste government has maintained that they must be kept as a tool, while ensuring that they are not used discriminately.
The Bill also proposes the introduction of new measures that would enable police officers to quickly locate a missing person. However, while these changes are likely to positively impact policing, Francoeur argues that too much regulation will be detrimental, with citizens requiring active and proactive policing.