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This past Monday the Montreal Police Department set up a squad to patrol our métro system. For the past 40 years the system has had it's own force of Security/By-law Enforcement officers known as Surveuillance Agents. They were not Peace Officers. They were armed with mini PR-24s, wore stab resistant vests & carried handcuffs. They acted as first responders & controlled the situatuions until the police, fire or ambulance arrived. They also enforced a city by-law which set rules for conduct in the system.
When the new police squad was being set up the 165 Surveillance Agents were invited to apply to become police officers. However they were required to pass ALL the requirements of rookie cops. A 45 year old was expected to be able to pass the same physical tests as a 20 year old. Only about 65 were accepted. Out of the 65 3 (one who used to work for me
) had most of the things needed to become a "real" cop. All they were missing were their firearms training. (The Surveillance Agents were trained in operating emergency vehicles, arrest etc). The other 60 are still in Police Technology at college. The rest of the 165 either have taken early retirement or have become "Transit Inspectors". The job description of the new Inspectors was to do Industrial Security (they patrol the system between 01h00 & 06h30 while the system is closed & protect the buildings. They will also be spending a lot of their time working in the métro stations to make sure people pay their fares & don't litter.
The poo hit the fan in the media today when it was reported that on the Monday a woman was being attached in a métro station within site of a few of the Inspectors. Following their new "observe & report" orders they called their dispatcher to report a crime taking place. The "real" police took between 7 & 17 minutes to arrive. The suspect & victim were gone.
The media is jumping all over these Inspectors. I've called a few talk shows & sent e-mails to newspapers explaining the observe & report method of security. Another caller on one of the shows also explaiined that if they were spacifically told not to get involved in these situations but they did & got hurt, or hurt the suspect, they would not be covered as it was not part of their job.
The media is calling for them to be fired. The media says they were working to rule as a pressure tactic to protest the loss of their jobs.The transit commission is city run. The politicians are begining to say the Inspectors misunderstood their new roles.
BTW I was for giving the Surveillance Agents Police powers (that they once had under the Railway Act but was taken away from them). In my opinion we need crime prevention in the métro, not necessarily by arrests. The Surveillance Agents were doing a good job.
I'm almost tempted to help them in their protests by calling the police for EVERY noise complaint I get in my hotel. (Sometimes 10 or more a night). People seem to think only sworn Law Enforcement can deal with crime.
Sorry for the long post but I'm pumped!
When the new police squad was being set up the 165 Surveillance Agents were invited to apply to become police officers. However they were required to pass ALL the requirements of rookie cops. A 45 year old was expected to be able to pass the same physical tests as a 20 year old. Only about 65 were accepted. Out of the 65 3 (one who used to work for me
) had most of the things needed to become a "real" cop. All they were missing were their firearms training. (The Surveillance Agents were trained in operating emergency vehicles, arrest etc). The other 60 are still in Police Technology at college. The rest of the 165 either have taken early retirement or have become "Transit Inspectors". The job description of the new Inspectors was to do Industrial Security (they patrol the system between 01h00 & 06h30 while the system is closed & protect the buildings. They will also be spending a lot of their time working in the métro stations to make sure people pay their fares & don't litter.The poo hit the fan in the media today when it was reported that on the Monday a woman was being attached in a métro station within site of a few of the Inspectors. Following their new "observe & report" orders they called their dispatcher to report a crime taking place. The "real" police took between 7 & 17 minutes to arrive. The suspect & victim were gone.
The media is jumping all over these Inspectors. I've called a few talk shows & sent e-mails to newspapers explaining the observe & report method of security. Another caller on one of the shows also explaiined that if they were spacifically told not to get involved in these situations but they did & got hurt, or hurt the suspect, they would not be covered as it was not part of their job.
The media is calling for them to be fired. The media says they were working to rule as a pressure tactic to protest the loss of their jobs.The transit commission is city run. The politicians are begining to say the Inspectors misunderstood their new roles.
BTW I was for giving the Surveillance Agents Police powers (that they once had under the Railway Act but was taken away from them). In my opinion we need crime prevention in the métro, not necessarily by arrests. The Surveillance Agents were doing a good job.
I'm almost tempted to help them in their protests by calling the police for EVERY noise complaint I get in my hotel. (Sometimes 10 or more a night). People seem to think only sworn Law Enforcement can deal with crime.
Sorry for the long post but I'm pumped!
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