What police reform could look like in Montreal

The role and funding of Montreal police has been a source of heated debate in the municipal election — but what are the alternatives?

Last year, hundreds marched to demand significant portions of the police budget be reallocated to social programs. Public safety accounted for 18 per cent of the city's total budget for 2021, and all of the municipal parties have taken a stance on policing.

CBC News looked at what other municipalities have done to address violence outside of direct police intervention. 

That includes anti-violence units that work with police, addressing gang violence in hospitals, and a new system to respond to mental crises.

Megan O'Neill, the associate director of the Scottish Institute for Policing Research at the University of Dundee in Scotland, said one of the problems is how isolated police forces can be from other agencies.

"Policing, certainly in North America, does tend to be seen very much as kind of a silo. Like, 'we are law enforcement!'" she said. "It's that expression: when all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail."

But when it comes to social problems, police are not necessarily the best response, even though they're often the ones called first, she explained.