A Parti Québécois (PQ) government would ban insults directed at police officers, following the example set by the City of Montreal. At a news conference Monday morning in Ulverton, in the Richmond riding, Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon outlined the public safety measures he plans to implement if his party forms the next government. “There is a very small minority who think they can do pretty much whatever they want to the point of insulting police officers, and it’s a phenomenon that has a lot of impact because some clips go viral and therefore change perceptions, and I think that’s not acceptable,” the PQ leader said. According to St-Pierre Plamondon, Montreal’s measure concerning insults directed at police officers is a starting point for establishing rules around civility. “The City of Montreal is right to make it clearer what we expect from the public and what we expect from police officers as well when it comes to enforcing the law with civility, and when that line is crossed, to make sure there are consequences and that it’s not an open bar for insults,” he said. Police officers should use their judgment in cases where a person’s condition is impaired by alcohol, drugs or medication. Legislation would be introduced in the National Assembly, and a parliamentary committee would then study the proposal. The PQ says it is time to take action on public safety, even though the crime rate declined last year. The PQ leader notably pointed out that sexual assaults, criminal harassment and femicides remain on the rise. The number of serious crimes is still eight per cent higher than it was 10 years ago, while the overall crime rate is also seven per cent higher than in 2015, he added. The PQ reiterated commitments it had previously made, including hiring 800 new police officers in a first term, hiring 100 new Crown prosecutors and adding 100 new social workers who would join mixed teams. This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Sept. 28, 2026.
