Demers rules out Laval/Montreal police merger
The City of Laval issued a statement last week, essentially rejecting the City of Montreal’s recent proposal to merge their respective police departments.
The Montreal Police Department had recently recommended that provincial authorities consider the possibility of merging the police departments of Montreal, Laval and Longueuil.
Not what Laval wants
The City of Laval declared in response that the proposal “doesn’t correspond to orientations currently being pursued by Laval.” Laval maintains that it wishes to maintain its local police service and to keep it within close proximity.
However, Laval did come out in favour of some elements in the City of Montreal’s report. These included increased sharing of information and expertise while working more closely as a team on special dossiers; and finding more equitable means to finance police services, in accordance with needs of the population.
Room for improvement
In its response, the City of Laval noted that it is currently paying for services provided by the Sûreté du Québec and the Montreal Police Department. “The memoirs tabled by Laval and Montreal bear some similarities,” said Laval mayor Marc Demers.
“Could we improve some of our work by increasingly sharing our expertise?” he continued. “I am certain of it. So, there is no question of merging our police services and abandoning our autonomy.”
‘Impaired’ woman leads SQ on a wild chase along A-440
Alcohol or drugs are believed to have been an important factor in a police chase that took place in Laval on Oct. 30, ending with the arrest of a woman in her 20s.
The Sûrteté du Québec (SQ) received a call at 2:45 a.m. early one recent morning about a car that had been spotted driving on the shoulder on Highway 440 East in Laval.
When the car sped away, officers began pursuing, but eventually called it off around Pie IX Blvd. following an approximately four-kilometre chase. Police say that when they finally caught up, the woman was agitated and needed to be transported to the hospital.
The investigating officers suspected she was impaired by alcohol or drugs and tried to obtain a warrant for testing to confirm it. The woman was taken into custody on suspicion of being impaired while driving and charges were pending.
LPD nabs suspected drug dealer in Pont-Viau
A man in his 20s was scheduled to make a court appearance for arraignment at the Laval courthouse earlier this week after a weekend encounter with the Laval Police, during which he fled from them after being seen in possession of narcotic substances.
The LPD had spotted his vehicle just after 2 am near the corner of de la Concorde Blvd. and J.J. Joubert Ave. in Pont-Viau. They noticed his car after seeing one of its rear lights wasn’t working.
While he initially didn’t show any resistance and voluntarily turned over his driver’s license and car registration, it was after this that the officers saw what they believed was evidence of narcotics in his car and questioned him.
The driver decided to flee, driving up to 80 kilometres per hour at one point along streets that included Meunier, Cousineau and Proulx. The police finally caught up to him in front of his home, where the officers determined he was in possession of narcotics.
Searching the vehicle, the officers found several dozen plastic bags of what appeared to be drugs, including crack and ecstasy, after which the suspect was placed under arrest.
According to the LPD, the suspect had a previous record for drug-related offenses and breaking court-imposed conditions, and they took him into custody.
2020 Dog Handler Calendar raised over $ 40,000 for the Martin-Matte Foundation
Laval police (SPL) has given the Fondation Martin-Matte the proceeds for the 2020 edition of its dog handler calendar. The amount raised this year is a generous $ 40,529.62, bringing the SPL’s contribution to the Foundation over the past eleven years to almost half a million dollars.
“After more than a decade of involvement, our desire to contribute to the well-being of brain injury victims and their families is still going strong. Year after year, the members of the Cynophile Squad, in collaboration with many partners, dedicate themselves to carrying out this campaign. The success of this calendar is a reflection of the commitment and dedication of our dog handlers. An extraordinary example of solidarity, “stated director Pierre Brochet.” The Service Police de Laval (SPL) has been associated with this cause since the death of dog handler Éric Lavoie, following a head trauma. He was injured in a traffic accident while answering to an emergency call.
The Martin-Matte Foundation helps provide a better quality of life for children and adults living with head trauma or physical disability. In 2007, Martin Matte created the Foundation to help his brother who suffered a head trauma in a car accident in 1986. Christian has lived in the very first Maison Martin-Matte, located in Laval since 2008. Citizens may still obtain the 2021 Dog Handler Calendar at a cost of $ 5 at one of the Laval police stations or on the Foundation’s website during the month of November at fondationmartinmatte.com.
