The Legault government in Québec has announced significant budget cuts to the Sûreté du Québec (SQ), totaling $120 million. This decision comes as the government aims to strengthen law enforcement in the province. The cuts will affect a range of police operations and personnel across various regions.
Impact on Policing Across Québec
As part of the budget reductions, the SQ will close a dozen auxiliary police stations in regions including:
- Témiscaming
- Senneterre
- Radisson
- Havre-Saint-Pierre
- Matapédia
- Grande-Vallée
- New Carlisle
- Saint-Félicien
- Saint-Michel-des-Saints
- Saint-Gabriel-de-Brandon
- Saguenay
- Tadoussac
This restructuring represents approximately 10% of the SQ’s annual budget, which amounts to over $1 billion.
Disruption of Services
The budget cuts will lead to a freeze on hiring new police officers and the elimination of specific operational units. The SQ will also discontinue its financial crimes unit, despite an increase in such crimes in the province. This unit was responsible for investigating fraud and identity theft.
Most notably, overnight patrols will be reduced, and emergency calls from certain areas, such as Senneterre, may be redirected to officers stationed farther away in Val-d’Or or Rouyn-Noranda, potentially increasing response times significantly.
Additional Budgetary Measures
The government’s austerity measures go beyond personnel reductions. The SQ may even sell two of its four helicopters currently used for search and rescue operations. These helicopters, manufactured by Bell, play a crucial role in emergency responses.
Moreover, the impending cuts threaten several dozen agents assigned to emergency response, which includes support for searches for missing persons, especially in remote areas. This decision follows previous criticism of the SQ’s slow response in similar cases, highlighting the potential risks associated with the budget constraints.
Conclusion
Overall, these budget reductions signal a significant shift in law enforcement in Québec, creating concerns about the potential impact on public safety. The measures undertaken by the Legault government aim to reshape the financial landscape of the SQ but may jeopardize essential services.
