STM Inspectors Are Getting Police-Like Powers They Can Use To Arrest & Ticket People
Montreal's STM inspectors are set to get a new police-like status by July, a press release says. As special constables, they'll be able to issue statements of offence, give traffic tickets — and even make arrests.
The request for inspectors to be designated special constables was made to the Ministère de la Sécurité publique last summer and, according to the STM, was recently granted.
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Inspectors already do 14 weeks of intensive training at Quebec's police academy. To become special constables, the STM says "they will have to complete an additional module."
Marie-Claude Léonard, executive director of the metro, says the change will allow constables to "respond in situations where reserved lanes or terminals are blocked by illegally parked vehicles" as well as hold constables accountable to the Police Ethics Commission.
However, some citizens have expressed concern. Last June, a petition asking officials to reconsider giving STM inspectors special constable powers, amid calls to end police brutality, garnered over 16,000 signatures.
