Montreal police to get body cameras following years of debate

Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada announced on Friday that Montreal police officers will soon be equipped with body cameras after years of debate. The cameras, which are already widely used in cities like Toronto, Calgary, and Vancouver, will be rolled out city-wide. The police force will receive 3,500 body cameras and 600 patrol vehicles will have dashcams and automated license plate readers installed.

The administration has allocated $40 million for police cameras in the first budget of the year. The decision comes following a scandal at a Montreal North police station where a 16-member patrol unit was dismantled due to allegations of criminal behavior and misconduct. The mayor also revealed plans to ban insults towards city employees, including police, and grant officers new powers to issue fines for such incidents.