Valérie Plante promises $110M for public security plan to fight gun violence, if re-elected
CBC
Montreal mayoral candidate Valérie Plante unveiled a campaign promise to spend $110 million on public security if re-elected in an effort to help stem the rise in gun violence in the city.
The announcement comes on the heels of the Quebec government rolling out its own $90-million plan to combat gun violence across the province.
Plante, the leader of Projet Montréal, unveiled her party's public safety plan at a Saturday news conference.
"Today, we are proposing a clear game plan with a value of $110 million to continue to fight against armed violence, criminal groups and ensure the safety of Montreal neighbourhoods," she told reporters.
If re-elected, Plante says $15 million over four years will go toward deploying mediation and intervention teams to help de-escalate crisis situations involving marginalized and vulnerable communities. This would expand the scope of Équipe mobile de médiation et d'intervention sociale, launched earlier this month.
Other commitments include encouraging police officers to stay on at their local police station for at least three years to be closer to the community.
In recent weeks, Plante has tried to address the increase in shootings in the city. In August, the city announced $5.5 million in funding for the SPVM to hire 42 more officers
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