Quebec, Montreal to invest $250 million to hire 450 more SPVM officers
The Quebec government has announced it will spend $250 million over the next five years to help Montreal hire more police officers and combat gun violence.
Public Security Minister Genevieve Guilbault says the money will allow the city to hire up to 225 more officers.
The City of Montreal will match the amount, bringing the total maximum number of new officers to 450.
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In addition to hiring police officers, Guilbault says the city and province will also split the cost of hiring another 100 social workers who can help with mental health calls.
READ: Shocking, stressful: Montrealers react to fatal broad-daylight shootings
Montreal has been dealing with a spate of high-profile shootings, including the daytime killings of two men within less than one hour earlier this week.
The city’s police union has been pushing Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante to hire more officers, saying the force doesn’t have the numbers it needs to properly fight crime.
Plante, for her part, has said any accusations that she doesn’t support the city’s police force are false.
