The Quebec government is pledging $31 million to add security checkpoints and more special constables to the province's courthouses after recent violent incidents raised safety concerns. The Quebec Superior Court is seen Wednesday, March 27, 2019 in Montreal.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz
LONGUEUIL, Que. – The Quebec government is pledging $31 million to add security checkpoints and more special constables to the province’s courthouses after recent violent incidents that raised safety concerns.
Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette and Public Security Minister François Bonnardel made the announcement today in Longueuil, where an interpreter was seriously injured in a courthouse knife attack early this year.
Part of the funding announced today will allow walk-through metal detectors to be added at nine courthouses by fall 2025, including in Longueuil, Laval, and Quebec City.
The bulk of the funding – $23.4 million – will go toward training and hiring more special constables, who are responsible for ensuring security in courthouses.
A number of groups representing Quebec justice system workers have been lobbying the government to increase security at courts after the Jan. 9 Longueuil knife attack and a more recent alleged assault of a youth protection worker at the courthouse in Sherbrooke.
As of earlier this year, only certain Montreal-area courthouses had airport-style security in place with metal detectors and X-ray equipment.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 3, 2024.
Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A headline on a previous version was missing the word ‘million.’
