Coalition presses Montreal to fast-track police body cameras without Quebec funding

A coalition of 23 organizations and 35 individuals is urging Montreal’s Ensemble Montréal administration to begin implementing body-worn cameras for police officers this year, regardless of whether the Quebec government agrees to help subsidize the program.

The coalition, led by former Montreal city councillor Marvin Rotrand, says further delays are unacceptable, despite the city’s plan to roll out cameras gradually over the coming years.

“I’m sorry, we’re not going to wait until 2034,” said Rotrand. “And we’re not going to wait until a future government in Quebec comes up with a subsidy program.”

Rotrand says the city has already committed to the idea and should move ahead immediately.

“Ensemble Montréal was categorical for five years. We need body cams. We need them right now,” said Rotrand. “You’re exaggerating the cost, they told Valerie Plante, and we need to act now. The pledge was made again during the election campaign, and the money is indeed in the budget, except there’s no precision when it’s going to be spent.”

Jim Beis, borough mayor of Montreal’s Pierrefonds-Roxboro and member of Ensemble Montréal highlighted how other provinces throughout Canada have implemented body cameras on police officers, such as in Ontario and Alberta. “We are working towards enabling the police force to have at least some cameras in place by this year,” said Beis.

“Ultimately, it’s to provide another tool for the police and for the justice system to be able to do their job correctly, and so this is what we’re hopeful for, and I am sure that we will accomplish this together,” said Beis.

Advocacy groups argue that body-worn cameras would provide critical accountability in police interactions, particularly for victims of racial profiling and excessive use of force.

“When that interaction is recorded, it provides victims at least a fighting chance. And so if nothing else from a civil rights organization from an on-the-ground group that deals with victims of racial profiling and excessive use of force, there’s no doubt that a picture is worth a thousand words,” said Alain Babineau, director of Racial Profiling & Public Safety, Red Coalition and former RCMP police officer.

Fo Niemi executive director of the Center for Research Action on Race Relations (CRAAR) says there also needs to be an information-based system that comes with these body cameras, which should be created with using citizen input.

“A body cam is one thing, what are you going to do with information? Once you collect it, there are a lot of privacy issues, there’s a lot of safety guards, that have to be developed,” said Niemi.

Niemi believes these cameras will also help protect police officers, “these cameras be used to defend, justify actions taken and the body cam information will help establish the truth.”

Montreal’s mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada unveiled the city’s budget on Jan. 12, which includes $40 million for the acquisition and deployment of body-worn cameras for SPVM officers between 2026 and 2034. However, no specific timeline has been provided for when officers could begin wearing the cameras, with the mayor indicating provincial participation is required.

“We took an engagement in terms of working with the government of Quebec. As you know, cities like Toronto have them already, body camps,” said Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Mayor of Montreal at the Jan. 12 press conference for the city budget. “It’s a big investment, but it’s a big investment that also Quebec has to do, because there’s a lot of change to be done in the background.”

“So we wanted to send a signal to Quebec that we’re ready, that the city is ready, and the SPVM is ready, and we want to work with Quebec to do it, but of course it’s not only the city that will be able to make it,” added Ferrada.

In a written response to CityNews, Quebec’s Ministry of Public Security said it has conducted studies on body-worn cameras, particularly in a legal context, in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice and the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions. The ministry confirmed that no timeline has yet been established for deployment.

Montreal police echoed those concerns in a statement to CityNews, citing technological challenges such as data storage and legal considerations. They said implementation depends on Quebec’s Ministry of Public Security and Ministry of Justice and confirmed that no timeline has been set.

“We’re still waiting to see what’s going to happen with the government, but we’re hoping that in 2026-2027 to be equipped with those body cameras,” said SPVM Police Chief Fady Dagher.

Beyond body cameras, Rotrand’s coalition is also calling for public hearings on privacy protections and Charter rights related to police technologies, including license plate readers, facial recognition, and artificial intelligence.

“We’re not opposed necessarily to the use of new technologies, but we want to make sure that the rules are known to the public, and the public is protected in terms of its privacy and charter rights, and that the technologies will be used in a legal manner,” said Rotrand.