A sad time. On Friday April 26, 2024, journalists Daniel Renaud and Vincent Larouche signed a text1 reporting a decision by the Montreal City Police Service (SPVM) which blamed patrol officers from the Éclipse group for attempting to intercept a vehicle driven by violent criminals who had just caused serious bodily harm and ultimately the death of a citizen, May 31, 2023.
The SPVM is struggling to recruit young police officers. Do you think that with this kind of decision, more of them will come to work at the SPVM?
The SPVM is seeing more and more police officers and executives retire before the 30 years normally targeted, discouraged by the lack of leadership, managerial courage and by the social context prevailing in Montreal. Discouraged by what has become of the police.
The SPVM is seeing more and more police officers disengage. The Quebec National Police Academy carried out research on this subject and one of the causes mentioned is the lack of support from management and elected officials.
With this kind of news, do you understand why this lack of support, even for serious crimes, where police officers are blamed for wanting to do their job, leads to the situation we are experiencing?
The path to follow ?
Is this really the path that the SPVM wants to continue to follow?
Do we really think we are avoiding causingunder-policing (of police disengagement) by advocating the non-intervention of patrol officers? Do we think the situation will improve in the coming years?
Do we really think that violent criminals, in possession of illegal firearms, driving stolen vehicles, who are currently spreading the word about the fact that patrol officers are handcuffed, will suddenly stop taunting and rush towards police?
Do we really think that (overwhelmed) investigators will succeed in finding and arresting these dangerous criminals who are on the roads 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, like patrol officers? That would be magical thinking.
And when we announce the doubling of staff dedicated to this type of investigation, we undress Pierre to dress Paul, everyone knows it and this strategy has become hackneyed.
Do we really think that arresting the leaders of auto theft rings and putting them in prison will prevent them from continuing to run their lucrative businesses from prisons? Or that they will not be replaced?
Do we really want a city where chaos and anarchy take hold and where we leave the streets, neighborhoods and communities in the hands of violent criminals, whether juveniles or adults?
The city of Montreal is exposed to more violence. The hearts of the SPVM police officers are bleeding. This heart is the patrollers and neighborhood supervisors who, every day, on the ground, protect the soul of the city, the citizens.
The recent wholesale resignation of the supervisors of the Stop group2 is a symptom of the ongoing demobilization, while they were the spearheads of the fight against armed crime.
If we want to stop the bleeding, attract young people, retain our experienced police officers, it is imperative that the management of the SPVM and the elected officials of Montreal trust our patrol officers, give them the tools, the training and maintain their skills.
We must think about increasing technological means, but also training them in induced immobilization techniques (TIP), which in certain circumstances will allow them to intervene as safely as possible for themselves and for the public and will demonstrate to violent criminals that police officers will not let them cause chaos and anarchy in Montreal.
Above all, we must not handcuff patrol officers and their supervisors and allow impunity to grow. To this end, the courts have an important role to play, to give the perception that justice is being done.
1. Read “Discontent among SPVM patrol officers”
2. Read an article from Radio-Canada
What do you think ? Participate in the dialogue
reference: www.lapresse.ca