Montreal Police brass faced a barrage of questions about the force's actions during the April 26 anti-G8 march, when officers rounded up some 300 protesters in what was deemed a "pre-emptive strike."
Though police chief Michel Sarrazin stonewalled a good number of questions, this much came out: Montreal riot police will now be required to wear an arm patch noting the officer's name.
Sarrazin said the force is doing this in the face of a number of long-standing complaints that police officers can't be identified when in riot gear.
"A name patch will be worn on the arm [of riot gear] from now on," Sarrazin said.
It is a novel approach in this country, to be sure. No other police force in Canada does this. Under present regulations, police must display their badge number, though many observers of the April 26 march said few officers actually did so.
"It's better," said Ligue des droits et libertés president Nicole Filion. "It's a step in the right direction. Police officers have to identify themselves, and it's crazy that it has taken so long for them to essentially obey the law."
Others are a little more cynical. "It's good, but we'll see if they do it," activist lawyer Denis Barrette says.
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