Montreal transit constables should be better armed, says workplace safety board

Quebec’s workplace safety board says Montreal’s transit constables fear for their security and should be better armed.

Its recommendation is included in a report the board produced for the public transit agency in response to two complaints about constables’ safety in the network.

The report, however, does not say what additional weapons should be given to the constables, who already have access to batons, handcuffs, and pepper-spray.

The union representing transit constables says its members should be armed with electroshock weapons, such as Tasers.

Montreal’s transit agency has said there’s been a rise in calls to constables involving disruptive behaviour in the network.

Trending Now

Its leadership has also complained that the metro system has become a last-resort shelter for people struggling with drug addiction and mental illness.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 3, 2025.