Quebec study exposes dramatic increase in police funding
Global News
A study released Wednesday claims that the rate of increase in funding for the Montreal police department is far higher than for other sectors.
Questions are once again being raised about how much is being spent on policing in the city of Montreal.
A study released Wednesday by L’Institut de recherche et d’informations socioéconomiques (IRIS) and the L’observatoire des inégalités raciales au Québec (OIRQ) claims that the rate of increase in funding for the Montreal police department is far higher than for other sectors.
“There’s a mismatch right now between where we put the money and where the needs are,” IRIS researcher Guillaume Hébert told Global News.
“In most of the cities of North America, actually.”
According to the report, Montreal’s police budget jumped by 169-per cent between 2002 and 2022, from $429 million to $724 million.
The researchers say their analysis shows that police budget increases don’t necessarily mean a reduction in crime. They argue some of those funds should be diverted elsewhere.
“To community service, mental health services,” said Hébert. “To put this money there would be much more useful and effective.”
For example, he pointed out, a large number of 911 calls that police get would have been handled better if they had been directed to another service.
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