Montreal to Equip Police with Body Cameras, Give Officers New Powers

Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada says police officers in the city will soon be equipped with body cameras and receive new powers to help them carry out their duties.

The city plans to introduce a bylaw banning insults directed at municipal employees, including police officers. If approved, the bylaw would allow officers to issue fines to people who verbally abuse or insult them or other city employees.

Martinez Ferrada made the announcement alongside Montreal’s police chief and the head of the police brotherhood. She emphasized that the proposed measure is not intended to prevent criticism of city workers but to protect them from abuse.

The announcement comes months after a scandal at a police station in a multicultural Montreal neighbourhood, where a 16-member patrol unit was dismantled following allegations of criminal activity and misconduct.

The city also plans to review police stop practices, according to Jim Beis, who is responsible for public security on Montreal’s executive committee.

Martinez Ferrada’s administration had already set aside $40 million in its first budget for police body cameras.