New police squad cracks special cases

BY RAFFY BOUDJIKANIAN

Raffy.boudjikanian@transcontinental.ca

It's so top-secret that you have to burn your copy of the newspaper after you read the article, but there is a new police squad at station 3 (covering Pierrefonds, Île Bizard and Ste. Geneviève) that's been doing some top notch work since it started in January, according to station commander Michael Chartrand.

"They handle everything from traffic duties to surveillance and information gathering," Chartrand explained of the M.A.P., which stands for module d'action par projet.

M.A.P.s are a relatively recent initiative by Montreal police. At Station 3, a group consisting of five permanent officers is deployed to assist any squad that may need help.

"They're very, very flexible," said Chartrand.

For example, recently Station 3's M.A.P. group came up with a plan to help seniors staying in senior residences. They arranged to repaint pedestrian crosswalks as well as lane markers on the street in order to help residents cross the street. "We want to expand the time where they can walk (to the other side of the street) on the traffic lights," Chartrand added.

On a completely different end of the spectrum, station 3's M.A.P. recently also collaborated with the R.C.M.P. to track down a new stimulant drug called khat, which had started off on the streets of Pierrefonds/Roxboro before spreading to other areas. Thanks to their efforts, Health Canada has been able to come to a decision. "They decided that they're going to go ahead and add this to the list of prohibited substances," Chartrand added.

The presence of the M.A.P.s has allowed for greater co-operation between police here and other stations in Montreal, said Chartrand. "We co-ordinate our efforts," he explained.

About a week ago, the Station 3 M.A.P. also helped investigators from stations 3 and 4 capture a 22-year old man who had robbed two pizza delivery men in the area. "They were also able to link him to a break-in last year," said community relations officer Dan Maheu.

With the M.A.P. members' diverse backgrounds, Station 3 has been able to benefit from a variety of perspectives. "We have an ex-member of the RCMP," said Chartrand, and another has a bachelor's in criminology. On average each member has about two years' worth of experience on the force, he added.

It is thanks to this variety that the M.A.P. was recently able to apprehend a couple of brothers who had been engaging in a series of breaking and entering crimes in the area since last year. "The M.A.P. came in, looked at things, established patterns, established links," explained Chartrand.

The M.A.P. also investigates individual complaints and validates information for the station's investigative teams. Concerned residents may call them at (514) 280-9303. Leaving your name is not obligatory.