Quebec plans to deploy 20 new “liaison officers” to provide better follow-up for people found not criminally responsible on account of a mental disorder.
On Thursday, Public Security Minister François Bonnardel tabled Bill 66, his response to the recent murders, which he described as “random,” including that of Sûreté du Québec (SQ) officer Maureen Breau.
Breau was murdered by a man with mental health problems during a police operation in Louiseville in March 2023.
Bill 66 would create a team of liaison officers dedicated to monitoring the conditions and assessing the risks of people found not criminally responsible.
It would also enable police forces to obtain the information they need from medical teams.
Some 2,000 Quebecers are under the jurisdiction of the Commission d’examen des troubles mentaux (CETM), 1,153 of whom are subject to conditions.
The Ministry of Public Safety estimates that about half of these 1,153 people could be monitored by a liaison officer.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews