Some cops say they’re hesitant to intervene
Some SPVM cops are saying, without exactly going on record, that there are times they’re hesitant to intervene in certain situations for fear of the consequences if they’re filmed and their actions later called into question.
Well – isn’t that a good thing? Now that almost everyone has a video camera in their pocket, cops are beginning to understand it’s not just security cams watching the public, but the public watching them back. If that holds police back from excessive force, that’s bringing more balance into the relationship.
Don’t misunderstand me. I do grasp that there may be times when a video clip, taken out of context, can make a cop’s actions look worse than they are, and that there are times when the only thing to do with a dangerous or out-of-control subject is to use force. But if this comes about, all evidence is of value, including video captured by observers.
Update: The police chief says his men are tired of criticism.
steph 14:07 on 2021-05-06 Permalink
Benoît, policier au SPVM, should find a new job. Clearly he’s not fit to be a cop.
steph 14:09 on 2021-05-06 Permalink
I’m sorry, the more I read this article, the more it amplifies my disgust for cops. Defunding the police is actually something that would help these useless officers.
SMD 14:13 on 2021-05-06 Permalink
Really helpful analysis of over thirty years of the SPVM crying wolf like this, from professor Ted Rutland: https://ricochet.media/fr/3585/le-desengagement-policier-a-montreal-30-ans-de-contrecoups-mediatiques.
GC 19:46 on 2021-05-06 Permalink
Is it a good thing if police fear consequences for misbehaving? 100% yes.
Ephraim 19:46 on 2021-05-06 Permalink
If you have to think twice, then maybe you shouldn’t be intervening in the first place.
The chief is doing the same thing they always do… pass the buck instead of take responsibility. He wants us to stop to criticize, then get off your damn ass and start to put in policies that change things. Did you hear him promise to do anything about people being stopped for driving while black? Nope. How about abuse of the database? No. How about the fact that two police officers left their post (while being paid), stole their vehicle, kidnapped a man, drove him to the Ontario border and dropped him there, and violated policy by making the SPVM pay for the gasoline. And the force defended the two men (until publicly embarrassed in the newspaper). Meanwhile, they had the GPS documents for the car. The bill for the gasoline. Internal affairs investigated it in 2010 but did nothing. What’s that a sign of? The problem is internal affairs. So, what was done about internal affairs? Nothing. Only in 2018 when it was published in the media, did the city do anything… and suspended the officers… WITH PAY. And they were only charged in 2020. Which I assume means that we paid for these two for over 2 years of salary while they sat on their asses because they stole, kidnapped, etc.
You don’t want to be criticized… start by doing the right thing. Here’s a few ideas for a start. Ask the Quebec government to put in a fully independent police commission. Set up an external “internal affairs” department. Start to publish data to show transparency in such things as police stops. And finally, put in a clear policy in regards to discrimination. And as I mentioned, a real policy in regards to smartphones so that it’s clear that citizen’s rights aren’t violated by officers when it comes to recording them on our phones to make us feel more comfortable when the police are present.