Police

In recent years, community policing has emerged in Québec. This community approach is based on closer ties with the public, citizen participation and closer partnerships among the various players at the regional county municipality level.

This approach translates into neighbourhood police that are closer to citizens and better able to understand their needs and expectations with respect to public security. Since spring 1997, the Montréal Police Service has used this approach to set up neighbourhood police to serve the Island of Montréal.

The creation of neighbourhood police has several objectives, such as building the public’s confidence in police organizations and concretely improving the safety of citizens in their immediate environment.

The police is there to serve you, so do not hesitate to call on them for help when needed.

Police forces

Police forces ensure the safety of citizens and enforce the law. There are three main police forces in Québec:

• a municipal police force in most large cities
• the Sûreté du Québec, Québec's provincial police, active in the entire province, particularly on roads and in rural areas that do not have their own municipal police force
• the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), which enforces federal laws.

You can turn to the police for help in a variety of situations:

• emergencies of any kind
• road accidents
• if you are the victim of a theft, assault or fraud
• if someone for whom you are responsible has disappeared
• if you have witnessed an offence, etc.

In case of emergency

Dial:

• 9-1-1 (if this service is available in your region)
• 0 (elsewhere in Québec).

You can also call your nearest police station. It is a good idea to keep this number near your telephone.

Police officers have a responsibility to act wisely, and to not abuse their power. It is their duty to inform you of the reasons for their intervention—short of apprehending you while you are committing an obvious offence—and to respect your right to a lawyer.

	PRACTICAL ADVICE
	In case of arrest, do not resist. You will have a chance to contest their motives or to lodge a complaint if you feel that the arrest is abusive. In the greater Montréal area, the Barreau du Québec offers legal advice by phone 24 hours a day. The number is usually posted at the police station. If not, you can ask for the number.

Useful links

• Ministère de la Sécurité publique
  Civil protection and community police
• Sûreté du Québec
  Mission and role of the Sûreté du Québec