MONTREAL – Colourful camouflage pants have almost become a norm among Montreal police officers over the last two years — but they may soon be on their way out.
IN PHOTOS: Quebec pension protests get creative
Special constables and bailiffs have already returned to their usual attire for work in courthouses, government buildings and the National Assembly.
READ MORE: ‘Boni$ Deni$’ territory: Montreal police brotherhood puts up protest billboards
Tuesday, Minister of Public Security Martin Coiteux said he’s not ruling out the possibility of passing a law to force police officers back into their uniforms.
READ MORE: Montreal police camo pants are here to stay – for now
Municipal police officers across the province started wearing the colourful protest pants to demonstrate against provincial pension reforms that affect over 65,000 firefighters, police officers and municipal white- and blue-collar workers.
READ MORE: Controversy over Montreal police camo pants protest
Get weekly money news
Despite the protests, the Quebec government passed the controversial pension plan bill on Dec. 4, 2014.
Overruled
This week, a judge threw out Marc-Olivier Caron’s $1,300 traffic fine.
Constable Nathalie Dagenais, with Laval police, was monitoring people driving down des Laurentides Boulevard in Laval when she caught Caron driving 71 km/h in a 50 km/h zone.
READ MORE: Camo pants protest: Quebec premier displeased with Montreal police
She stood in the road and attempted to pull him over, but Caron just changed lanes and kept driving.
Dagenais followed him and gave him a ticket for speeding and endangering the life of an officer.
The judge ruled that, because Dagenais was not in full uniform, there was reasonable doubt that Caron wouldn’t recognize she was a Laval police officer attempting to stop him.
WATCH BELOW: Police pants protest
Comments