Montreal Police Chief Advocates for Body Cameras Amid Implementation Delays
Montreal Police Chief Fady Dagher has publicly expressed his support for equipping officers with body cameras, yet he remains unable to provide a concrete timeline for their deployment. This announcement comes despite renewed pressure from city hall to move forward with the initiative.
Quebec Government Approval Required
Speaking during a public review of Montreal's 2026 budget on Tuesday evening, Chief Dagher emphasized that the police department is still awaiting a decision from the Quebec government regarding the cameras' implementation. Both the city of Montreal and the police department have consistently stated in recent years that they require approval from Quebec's justice and public security departments before proceeding.
"I don't have a timeline," Dagher told reporters following the hearings. "I know that stakeholders are sitting down together, collaborating, trying to find solutions, but I can't predict how long it will take."
Budget Allocation and Legal Framework
The city of Montreal has allocated $40 million for body cameras in its 2025–2034 capital works program, which was tabled alongside the budget last week. However, the provincial government is still working to establish the necessary legal framework, including ensuring that footage from the cameras would be admissible as evidence in court proceedings.
While Dagher reiterated that he does not view body cameras as a universal solution, he acknowledged their potential benefits. "It's one of the solutions that will likely improve the trust between police officers and citizens," he added. "But it takes all the actors together, and I don't know when the decision could come—it could be in two months, in several months, I don't know exactly."
Historical Context and Technological Challenges
The city of Montreal has considered implementing police body cameras for years. Following a pilot project in 2016, the police department concluded in 2019 that the technology required to equip officers and manage the associated data was prohibitively expensive.
Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada, who campaigned on the body camera initiative during the recent municipal election, has expressed optimism that advancements in technology could reduce deployment costs. Pierrefonds-Roxboro borough Mayor Dimitrios (Jim) Beis, the executive committee member responsible for security and prevention, noted that the $40 million allocation represents a starting point, with the Ensemble Montréal administration hoping to see cameras deployed within the next four years.
"How many? How? Where? We can't say yet, because there are other steps needed first," Beis explained.
Police Budget and Financial Management
The 2026 budget allocated to the Montreal police department is $860.29 million, an increase from $824.07 million in the previous year. Approximately $23.8 million of this increase is attributed to salary adjustments.
During his presentation of the department's finances, Chief Dagher addressed concerns about budget overruns. The department was projected to exceed its 2025 budget by $60 million as of the fall, following a $48 million overrun in 2024. Dagher reported that the department successfully reduced overtime expenses by 10 percent last year and aims to achieve similar reductions in 2026.
However, Dagher highlighted external factors impacting the budget, including the increasing number of protests requiring police presence in Montreal. Following the onset of the Israel-Hamas conflict, the department spent $12 million on visibility measures alone.
"The police department is very impacted by all events happening around the world," Dagher noted. "If something is happening in the Middle East, or in Europe, or the United States, we have repercussions in Montreal."
During question period, several residents challenged Dagher on the department's consistent budget overruns, arguing that the funds could be better utilized elsewhere. Dagher acknowledged their concerns, stating, "I'm from Montreal, too, I pay my taxes, so I can understand it very well. But being on the inside, and seeing the reasons and the details, I can see the SPVM is trying to do everything possible to remedy the situation."
The review of the 2026 budget, led by the city's permanent commission on finance, began last Wednesday and is expected to conclude with recommendations before the budget's adoption on January 28.
