Very busy premises despite COVID-19

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) are playing hiding by refusing to say how many employees work at the Montreal headquarters (HQ), located in the red zone.

The Dorchester Street offices can accommodate up to 800 people under normal circumstances. However, it is not known how many work there during a pandemic, but the situation worries several agents.

Despite repeated requests for two weeks, the regional RCMP refused to respond. Just as she refuses to say how many of her employees have been infected. A memo sent to the police during the summer by the commander said they were not required to meet the 25% employee limit imposed by the Department of Public Health for downtown office towers.

Infected policemen

Some also wonder about the rules to follow inside the walls.

“One of our colleagues was reprimanded because he wondered why the mask was not compulsory,” one of them is surprised.

“At the RCMP in Quebec, they are six months late,” laments another who says that wearing a mask has only been mandatory in common places for a few days.

According to our information, an inspector from the organized crime section was also infected.

“We allow our employees to continue working at home when possible and under certain conditions,” retorts Corporal Charles Poirier.

Unlike the Quebec section of the RCMP, Ottawa headquarters reported that 25% of the workforce work from home.

A total of 18 police officers have been infected across the country, but it is not known how many are in Quebec.

SPVM champion

For its part, the Montreal police are at the top of the list of law enforcement agencies for teleworking.

In total, 29% of SPVM civilian employees work from home, while 4% of police officers can also perform their duties from home.

The SPVM has also imposed the wearing of a surgical mask at all times, except for rare exceptions.

Before going into the red zone, the Sûreté du Québec had sent 2.5% of its 8,000 employees to work from home, mainly civilians.