The Association of Quebec Police Directors (ADPQ) and police unions are bringing together the public on this unique opportunity to advance the profession that has been abused in recent years.
A series of 10 video capsules were produced to address a variety of topics, including mental health and relationships with cultural communities. They will be launched next year on social networks to meet the population.
It’s time for Quebecers to see the day-to-day work of our police. In our campaign, there are no artists, no learned phrases, only real interviews, in simplicity and truth. You can see what’s going on in daily life, what we don’t see because it’s fixeddeclared Pierre Brochet, president of ADPQ, at a press conference.
Police have had a bad statement in recent years due to brutal arrests whose photos were broadcast on citizens ’social networks.
These capsules also aim to demystify police work. Sometimes there is a lack of affection from the population because of a segment of a video that is only detrimental to the police officer in the intervention. But we hope to have the technological tools to get a complete sequence of an intervention to better communicate our work to the population.added Didier Deramond, general manager of ADPQ.
Lack of police in Quebec
It must be said that the campaign launched on Wednesday came at the right time for the police forces, which are faced with the lack of police officers to rebuild their ranks.
According to our information, the National Police School of Quebec in Nicolet is struggling to graduate approximately 600 students to meet the growing demand for recruitment.
The COVID-19 pandemic is said to have had a severe impact on recruit training.
These are the conditions for a perfect storm. The National School needs to have the highest number of graduates to meet the demand. At the same time, there was a temporary closure of their facilities due to health restrictions, which delayed the training provided only in presence in classes. I think in particular of simulations, methods of using force and physical testscommented François Lemay, president of the Federation of police forces of Quebec.
The waiting times caused by the closing months will be one to two years for a police technology graduate who wants to attend National School.
There’s also a factor that worries me, it’s a trend where we see aspiring police officers complete their procedure at CEGEP, but decide not to go to the final stage, at the National Police Academy of Quebec. Admissions must be reviewed one day, even if the program is subject to quotas. For example, beyond academic results, the candidate’s level of motivation, judgment and ability to handle situations under pressuresaid Mr. Lemay.
Police departure
In May last year, Radio-Canada looked at the trend of police segregation in Quebec, which has been challenged by several pressure groups.
Today’s campaign is also intended to send a clear message to all of our 15,000 police in Quebec. They have the police directors behind them and support them in their work. It was a job that became complex and full of daily challenges.underlined Mr. Brochet.
The challenges before us are the same [ceux de] the employer. The removal of the police in the ranks in Quebec should not be underestimated. And appreciating our cops wholeheartedly in public is very important. Ultimately, the police we represent as unions are also recruited by management to represent them in the field.end of Mr. Lemay.
Source: Radio-Canada
