Quebec is considering a special law to force police to wear proper pants, after a judge threw out a man’s fine because he did not believe a woman wearing camouflage was an officer.
Many Quebec police and court bailiffs have been wearing eye-catching pants instead of the standard issue slacks since 2014, to draw attention to a law that forced public sector workers to contribute more to pensions.
A Montreal judge dropped Marc-Oliver Caron’s $1,293 ticket for endangering the life of a police officer, which was issued after Caron did not immediately pull over to receive a $115 speeding ticket.
Caron told the judge he thought the woman wearing an orange and yellow vest with multi-coloured camouflage pants was a crossing guard, not a cop.
He said police should find another way to make their point. “Security first,” he said.
Public Security Minister Martin Coiteaux agrees, “especially because of the threats we see internationally.
Coiteaux said that if police don’t start wearing proper uniforms in the next few months, he will bring in special legislation.
“They’ve received signals from citizens, they’ve received signals from judges, signals from me -- I think they should understand the situation,” he added.
Liberal Premier Philippe Couillard and Mayor Denis Coderre called the police unprofessional after they refused to wear proper pants to the funeral of former premier Jacques Parizeau.
Judges have also spoken out against the protest. They refused to sit last summer until special constables changed out of their camouflage pants and back into their regular uniforms.
With a report from CTV Montreal’s Rob Lurie
