MINUTES - PUBLIC - PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION - 2nd meeting - April 25, 2024 - 5:41 p.m. to 7:07 p.m.

Review of the Commission's 2024-2025 work plan

It is mentioned that the work plan was adopted at the municipal council meeting in April 2024 and was transmitted by email to the members of the Commission. The members are informed of the modifications that were made following the last version that was transmitted to them. It is suggested by the chair to return to the presentation of the fire prevention regulation at the meeting scheduled for June 6, 2024, so that members can obtain answers to the questions raised during the March 14 meeting and allow them to continue the discussion and agree on the recommendation that will subsequently be transmitted to the municipal council. The members are in agreement with this proposal.

Presentation: Overview of Police Service staffing and recruitment efforts

The objectives of the presentation aim to inform the members of the issues related to the recruitment of police officers in Gatineau as well as the initiatives put in place by the Police Service in the search for solutions. It is added that the shortage of police labor is not only experienced in Quebec, but also across Canada as well as in several other employment sectors. The members ask clarifying questions and discuss the issues and particularities experienced in the Gatineau region. In short, the number of annual graduates does not meet the demand of the various police forces in Quebec, even though several cégeps offer the training. Furthermore, people who have been trained in Ontario colleges, such as the Cité collégiale of Ottawa, cannot be hired in Quebec. They must obtain an accreditation lasting approximately 10 days so that they can be hired in Quebec. It is added that a pilot project has been put in place in collaboration with the ministère de la Sécurité publique so that graduates of the Cité collégiale can obtain their accreditation during their training. The Police Service has initiated steps so that this pilot project becomes permanent. Furthermore, certain requirements related to the hiring process established by the Ville de Gatineau decrease the number of potential candidates. It must be known that the SPVG process includes one more step that other large cities do not have, namely that of polygraph tests. It is mentioned that the employment possibilities for the Gatineau region are greater than elsewhere in Quebec. The presence of federal police forces, such as the Parliamentary Protective Service, provincial police forces such as the Sûreté du Québec and the Ontario Provincial Police, in addition to the municipal force of the MRC des Collines, means that the number of candidates decreases for Gatineau. In short, several actions and measures are put in place to facilitate the recruitment and retention of employees, as well as to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion within the police team. It is added that a committee was put in place by the Service in 2022. It has the mandate to better understand the issues as well as to establish actions and means to promote the recruitment and hiring of police officers. The members are informed of the Youth Diversity Summit, titled Crée une police qui te ressemble, which will take place on May 20. The Service wishes to consult young people from Secondary 1 to 3 attending Gatineau schools who are from diverse backgrounds or members of the First Nations, Métis, or Inuit. The targeted objectives are as follows:

• Demystify the police profession among young people from diverse backgrounds and Indigenous youth;
• Hold a rapprochement and dialogue activity between these young people and police officers;
• Help the SPVG understand the generational appeal toward the job market for young people and update its recruitment practices toward this clientele;
• Create enthusiasm for the police profession among young people.

The invitation will be transmitted to the members and they are invited to circulate it in their network.