Still “pants clown”?

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Robert Plouffe

Wednesday, September 6, 2017 06:30

UPDATE
Wednesday, September 6, 2017 06:30

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Even if they have recently started to wear their regulation uniform, police officers from Montreal want to retain the right to wear “pants clown” in labour disputes.

It is the constitutional right of negotiation and expression that the president of the Fraternité des policiers et policières de Montréal (FPPM), Yves Francœur, will plead today to the national Assembly, in consultations on bill 133.

Tabled by the minister of public Safety, Martin Coiteux, this bill makes it mandatory to wear uniforms in the exercise of police functions.

Since the signing of their new contract of work in June, the Montréal police officers have put an end to three years of means of pressure and wearing their regulation uniform. But they have the right to waive this rule in certain circumstances.

Flagrant Violation

In a brief of 18 pages in which our Bureau of investigation has obtained a copy, Mr. Francœur argues that the ” bill 133 is a blatant violation of the freedom of expression police “. Based on a series of judgments of the courts, he claims his withdrawal, pure and simple.

In the context where the police do not have the right to strike, the FPPM supports that do not wear full uniform is a way of expression ” with the constitutional protection applicable to fundamental rights “.

His position is shared by the Federation des policiers et policières municipaux du Québec.

During the deposit of the bill in April, Mr. Coiteux had expressed his exasperation in front of the pressure medium that had been going on. He said he was forced to act to ensure that the uniform is always able to represent the authority, law and order.

Bill 133 provides for fines of $ 500 to $ 3000 for any police officer who might be in violation.