Horses, Bicycles & Now Snowshoes... Montreal Police Will Use 'Raquettes' To Patrol Parks
You've seen Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) officers on foot, on bikes, in cars and on horses — now, you can expect to see them on snowshoes as well. How Canadian!
The SPVM announced that its PDQ 1 unit, which covers Baie-D'Urfé, Beaconsfield, Kirkland, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue and Senneville, has "decided to innovate" by using snowshoes to patrol trails in parks on the West Island.
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In a Facebook post, the SPVM says police officers often use bicycles to "ensure the safety of citizens in parks that are more difficult to access with isolated trails."
Snowshoes provide an alternative way to do the same thing.
These types of parks are becoming more popular on the West Island, as residents look for places to walk their dogs and do other winter activities, according to the Facebook post.
In particular, the post names L'Anse-à-l'Orme Nature Park and Angell Woods as popular destinations.
"Don't be surprised if you come across them patrolling on snowshoes," the post reads.
One commenter wondered if fat bikes could be next.
"I would SO see you patrolling the trails on Fatbikes!! That would be sick... and very useful too!!!" he wrote.
An SPVM spokesperson told us the snowshoe patrol is a West Island initiative, and there are currently no plans to expand it to other districts.*
*This article has been updated.