Montreal police will pay recruits $10K to join the force

The Montreal police service (SPVM) says it will reimburse $10,500 in training fees to aspiring officers who commit to serving on the force for the next five years.

The deal applies to graduates of the ENPQ, Quebec's police academy, and came into effect on July 3.

According to the SPVM's website, the offer does not extend to anyone who was hired by the police force before that date.

In a press release, SPVM chief Fady Dagher said the offer is part of an effort to recruit and retain personnel.

"Today, we want to ease the financial burden on new recruits by absorbing the ENPQ training fees. We hope this new incentive will encourage them to come to Montreal for their careers," he said.

According to the ENPQ's 2023-2024 admissions guide, the total cost of training is about $9,500, not including the clothing, books and items required by the program.

Dagher said the force is in a "good position" regarding salaries, the union having recently signed a new collective agreement.

"We're doing everything we can to make the SPVM an employer of choice," he said.

In an interview with CTV News, Dagher said the new initiative will be in place for about two to three years and will be an incentive to keep more officers on the force.

"Most of my police officers … are coming to Montreal and leaving. I wasn't able to retain them," he said. "So with that new contract at five years, it gives them time to understand the city, to work in the city and to learn about the … community."

In January 2023, the SPVM brotherhood reported a record number of resignations within its ranks, citing stress, exhaustion, and uncompetitive wages as contributing factors.

"We strongly support this measure," the brotherhood's spokesperson Martin Desrochers told CTV on Wednesday in an email.

Dagher acknowledged that there is a serious shortage on the force, with about 20 to 30 per cent of officers missing from the field. That translates to a lack of 400 to 700 police officers, he said.

"I've been in the force 33 years I never saw something like this. In Longueuil, we were around eight to nine per cent missing. Now, it's 25 per cent in Montreal. It is critical," he said.

It's a temporary measure, however, and will be in place until the SPVM has filled vacant posts.

If an officer who participated in the program leaves the force before their five-year term is up, they will be required to pay back the funds, which they receive in a lump sum after they are hired and commit to the program.

A September analysis by CTV News found the starting salary for Montreal officers was the lowest compared to other major Canadian cities, at just under $42,000.

But the force's new contract with the city promised wage bumps as well as rejigged schedules to reduce burnout. According to the recruitment section of the SPVM website, the base pay now starts at $53,980, including the metropolis bonus.

The SPVM says its offer to reimburse training fees is also an effort to diversify personnel.