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The swearing in of the first unit of special constables with Marie-Claude Léonard, Executive Director of the Metro network, and Jocelyn Latulippe, Director of Safety and Control.
Montréal, July 21, 2021 – Having announced its new regional outreach strategy intended to help inspectors build a rapport with public transit users and their communities, the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) is proud to present its first unit of thirty special constables.
“The new special constable designation will allow inspectors to take concrete actions to improve customer experience, both by providing a sense of safety and by ensuring smooth travel for customers. I would like to stress that the STM remains firm in its commitment not to equip the inspectors with firearms, tasers or pepper spray, and that this new approach will act as a complement to the police duties currently performed by the SPVM,” says Philippe Schnobb, Chair of the Board of Directors.
“More specifically, our new outreach strategy will promote harmonious co-existence among all bus and métro transit users, as well as a safe and pleasant climate. The first special constables will take up their duties immediately, following the various successful steps we have taken in collaboration with our committee to help improve relations between inspectors and the community (CRIC), including a specific training,” adds Luc Tremblay, FCPA, FCA, CEO.
“We are continuing our close cooperation with our various partners in the community, the municipality, the SPVM, the Laval and Longueuil police departments and the Quebec government’s Ministère de la sécurité publique. The new special constable designation will also mean that our inspectors are recognized as public transit safety professionals, as is the case with other Canadian transit agencies,” says Marie-Claude Léonard, Executive Director, Métro.
The change in designation will also add an important element of accountability. STM inspectors will now be subject to the Police Act and, consequently, the authority of the Commissaire à la déontologie policière (police ethics commissioner). In addition, the Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes (BEI) will be able to take over investigations as needed.
Press release about the customer-focused shift with new strategic approach for security and control inspectors
Press release about the results for the 2020-2021 winter plan in the métro network
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