PQ wants to mimic Montreal and ban insults directed at police officers

A Parti Québécois government would prohibit insults directed at police officers, thus imitating the City of Montreal.

At a press conference Monday morning in Ulverton, in the Richmond riding, PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon outlined the public safety measures he plans to put in place if he forms the next government.

“There is a very small minority who believe they can get away with anything to the point of insulting police officers, and this is a phenomenon that has a lot of reach because some excerpts go viral and therefore change perceptions, and I think that is not acceptable,” argued the PQ leader.

According to him, the measure put in place by Montreal regarding insults to police officers is a starting point for establishing rules of civility.

“The City of Montreal is right to make it clearer what is expected of the public and what is expected of the police as well, when it comes to applying the law in a civil manner, and when we step outside of that, that there are consequences and that it is not an open bar for insults,” he argued.

The police officer should exercise their judgment in cases where the person’s condition is impaired by alcohol, drugs, or medication.

Legislation would be introduced in the National Assembly and a parliamentary committee would then study the proposal.

The PQ believes it is time to make a significant leap forward in public safety, even though the crime rate decreased last year.

The PQ leader notably pointed out that sexual assaults, criminal harassment and femicides continue to rise.

The number of serious crimes is still 8 per cent higher than it was 10 years ago, while the overall crime rate is also 7 per cent higher than in 2015, he added.

The PQ recalled the commitments it had previously made, including the hiring of 800 new police officers in an initial mandate, the hiring of 100 new Crown prosecutors as well, and the addition of 100 new social workers who would be integrated into mixed squads.