In the wake of the stabbing death of Sgt. Maureen Breau, Quebec provincial police are launching a petition asking for safer work conditions for its officers.
The Association of Provincial Police Officers, comprising 5,600 members across the province, plans on depositing the petition this week. Association President Jacques Painchaud says what happened to Breau is unacceptable.
“She is a mother of two young children, she has a husband who is also an officer,” he said. “It was not normal what happened to her. It was an excessively dangerous situation and it’s not right.”
Breau, who would have turned 43 this week, was responding to a 9-1-1 call in Louiseville last week, near Trois Rivieres. A man who she was approaching to arrest stabbed her to death.
The man involved had been in and out of prison, and was considered highly dangerous and a threat to the public. Police later shot and killed him. A second officer was injured during the intervention but survived.
Painchaud says his association wants the National Assembly to change laws to better protect police officers. He says police should be informed if the person involved in a 9-1-1 call is dangerous or could be a threat because of mental health issues. And they want a review of when criminals with mental health problems are released from prison or institutions.
Breau’s death is fueling a debate in Quebec about mental health and public safety.
Painchaud says the number of calls for police to respond to potentially violent people has increased by 35 per cent since 2018.
Liberal Public Security Opposition critic Jennifer Maccarone wants the National Assembly to call a parliamentary commission about better protecting the public and police officers.
“We should be concerned. The police officers are raising their hand. It’s a cry for help,” Maccarone said. “They want the government to work for them so they can work for us. The only way to do that is to study it so that we know we are doing the right thing, putting the right actions into place.”
Maccarone also said it was important that officers be aware if, during an intervention, the person has violent tendencies or mental health problems.
“Imagine if you are the police officer arriving on scene and you don’t have all the information,” she said. “You aren’t just putting your life on the line, you are putting your life on the line sometimes unnecessarily because sometimes you don’t have all the information. I could not imagine arriving on scene and not knowing what’s waiting for me behind the door.”
Breau’s funeral will be held at the Sanctuaire Notre-Dame Du Cap in Trois Rivieres on April 13th.