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MONTREAL — Montreal’s police brotherhood wants the power to fine people who hurl insults and foul language at officers and is pressuring the city to adopt a bylaw similar to rules in municipalities like Quebec City, Laval, Longueuil and Sherbrooke, where officers can fine citizens for insulting police and other public officials.
Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada says she is open to implementing a bylaw, but adds it would have to be drafted carefully to ensure it won’t be contested in court.
The Canadian Press obtained internal data from some of Quebec’s largest metropolitan regions on how many fines are issued through bylaws prohibiting insults toward police officers and other municipal employees.
— Between April 1, 2020, and March 31, 2026, Quebec City police handed out 11,092 fines for insulting an officer or other municipal employee. That’s an average of five fines per day. Only 32 days went by in that six-year period where a fine was not issued.
— The fines are typically $150, and the police force reported collecting a total of $1,664,660.00 in those six years from people fined under the bylaw.
— Police in Laval, Que., issued 4,502 of fines for people who violated a similar bylaw between Jan. 1, 2021, and April 1, 2026. The fines are a minimum of $286.
— In Sherbrooke, Que., fines can range between $160 and $4,000. Sherbrooke police issued 855 fines for insulting police officers in 2025, which they say are rarely contested.
— The five municipalities in the Longueuil, Que., area, all served by Longueuil police, have similar regulations prohibiting insults toward municipal officials, including police. Longueuil police say they handed out 53 fines in 2025 and 49 to date in 2026.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 17, 2026.
Erika Morris, The Canadian Press
