Outgoing mayor of Montreal, Valérie Plante, unveiled her party’s public safety plan on Saturday. A plan for which the bill amounts to 110 million dollars extended over four years, and which will guarantee the financing of the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) “in the long term”.
Valérie Plante reiterated that Montreal is a safe city, and that its administration is not the one that will define the police.
“To say that Montreal is dangerous is to give up, I think it’s giving up,” said the mayor, saying that the City will in particular “tackle” the issue of firearms.
“Projet Montréal is committed to maintaining additional funding for the various SPVM teams to fight armed violence, stabilize the SPVM workforce in the hot districts of Montreal, deploy intervention and social mediation teams in all boroughs,” and finally, to create an emergency fund to support the various mixed patrols of the SPVM ”, declared the outgoing mayor.
Valérie Plante made the announcement of the investment, directly from her party’s offices, in the Ville-Marie borough.
The outgoing mayor was accompanied by Caroline Bourgeois, the candidate for mayor of the Rivière-des-Prairies – Pointe-aux-Trembles borough and head of public security on the executive committee, as well as Victor Armony candidate for the post of councilor of Town in the district of Snowdon.
PHOTO SARAH MONGEAU-BIRKETT, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
Projet Montréal’s plan aims to promote the commitment of police officers for at least three years in their neighborhood post, in order to strengthen the bond of trust between the police officers and the population.
Over the next four years, we are committed to strengthening this model, which promotes the proximity of the police to communities and organizations.
Valérie Plante, outgoing mayor of Montreal
Projet Montréal also promises to invest $ 15 million over four years to deploy the Mobile Mediation and Social Intervention Team (ÉMMIS) in all of the city’s boroughs.
A pilot project is currently taking place in the Ville-Marie borough, in order to test the workings of this team of social workers, who would be called upon to help people in crisis, rather than the police.
“We know that there are significant needs in downtown Montreal, but there are also needs in the west, in the northeast,” said Caroline Bourgeois.
PHOTO SARAH MONGEAU-BIRKETT, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
Caroline Bourgeois
The details of the implementation of EMIS will be determined following the pilot project. However, the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) or even a merchant who is faced with a social problem, could call EMIS rather than the police, said Valérie Plante.
The establishment of an emergency fund of 15 million dollars is also included in the public safety plan of Projet Montreal, in order to “respond quickly to any urgent need”.
Valérie Plante said she was delighted by the announcement of the “Carcajou squad 2.0”, made by the Minister of Public Security of Quebec, Geneviève Guilbault, on Friday. However, she called on the federal government to “initiate strong measures” concerning the control of firearms at the borders, and the ban on handguns.
“It’s a colander at the border,” she said.