On Wednesday, Quebec Police Chief Denis Turcotte presented his 2024 budget requests. He expressed a desire to stop paying for tasks outside of police officers' routine work, such as additional staff time at large events.
On Thursday, Mayor Bruno Marchand wanted to reassure the cultural community. “We are not prepared to say that the events budget will go through the roof this year,” he said.
However, he hasn't closed the door to a possible reckoning in the coming years. “The police need to quantify the costs so that over time we can say what we are using these amounts for, to ensure that the amounts we give to the police are allocated to their primary mission,” said Mayor Marchand.
Unthinkable
Martin Roy is President and CEO of the Regroupement des Events Majors Internationals (REMI), which particularly represents the Quebec Carnival and the Quebec Summer Festival. When he learned of the police chief's comments on Wednesday, he fell off his chair.
According to him, such a measure raises important questions of acceptability and fairness.
“Are we going to start sending bills to the FAE or the Common Front? Will we send bills to all the protesters who go to Parliament Hill? Why should we send them to major events but not to protesters? “Where is the justice?” he complains.
The events would still have to be able to pay this additional amount. Many people currently have no room for maneuver, explains Martin Roy. “Since the pandemic, we have found ourselves in an untenable situation in the industry. If we add this burden, we will have to stop a number of cultural and sporting events. It would be catastrophic.”
Major events already pay for security on their sites, argues Mr Roy. You shouldn't have to pay any extra money.
“Safety is important. We don't question that. But we are of the opinion that we should not link security and therefore the deployment of police services to the ability to pay, because then we are on the wrong path.”
Worries about the future
Despite Mayor Bruno Marchand's reassuring words on Thursday, Martin Roy is not reassured. “He specifically mentions 2024 in his statement, but I think we need to finally put an end to this idea of privatizing the police. “From the moment we pass the bill to the events, it is a form of privatization that is very worrying,” he says.
A few weeks ago in Montreal the question was asked whether major events should finance the work of police officers. Mr Roy is concerned about the continuation of the discussion.
“The Quebec police director was clearly inspired by that of Montreal. The idea was buried in Montreal. “It must be the same in Quebec,” he demands.
Claude Villeneuve, leader of the official opposition in Quebec City, positioned himself Thursday in favor of the police's demands. “We demand a lot from our police. I think yes, he should be compensated and at least given the opportunity to conserve his resources to maintain law and order and the good reputation of the city of Quebec. We support the police with their concerns.”
But who should pay the bill? “The city or the big events,” replies Mr. Villeneuve.
