STM’s special constables will not be equipped with firearms or stun guns, as the public transit authority expresses concern over their quick resort to use-of-force in certain situations. The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) confirmed its decision in an email to CBC, citing the agency’s reluctance to arm special constables who patrol Metro stations and transit areas, despite facing increasingly dangerous encounters according to their union representative, Kevin Grenier.
Grenier, president of the constables’ union advocating for arming its members, acknowledged the finality of the STM’s stance but emphasized the inadequacy of leaving special constables unarmed to handle challenging scenarios. The union’s aim is to ensure the safety of both officers and the public they interact with, stressing that being under-equipped may lead to an escalation of force, which is undesirable.
In a report from Quebec’s workplace safety board, the STM is quoted acknowledging a tendency among special constables to resort too quickly to the use of force in various situations. The STM justifies not arming special constables by emphasizing the importance of prioritizing de-escalation techniques. Currently, special constables are equipped with pepper spray and batons.
Disagreeing with the STM’s perspective, Grenier criticized the implication that violence is the fault of the special constables, highlighting the necessity of employing force in certain interventions, particularly those involving drug users or armed individuals. Despite encountering dangerous situations, special constables’ primary responsibility is to assist transit users and guide them to appropriate health and social services, with less than one percent of interventions resulting in the use of force.
Reflecting on reported injuries, Grenier mentioned 143 injuries to special constables this year, slightly lower than the 156 reported injuries for the previous year. The STM disclosed plans to establish a new “directorate of security and organizational resilience,” led by Martin Prud’homme, the former head of Quebec’s provincial police force, without providing specific details but promising further announcements upon Prud’homme assuming the role in the upcoming days.