montreal police cutting expenses after going $60 million over budget
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"the montreal police are working in terms of reducing overtime, in terms of different elements," says benoit dagenais.
allen mcinnis
/
montreal gazette
the montreal police department started cutting overtime and other expenses late last year after spending figures showed it was veering toward a $60-million overrun for 2025, according to the montreal city manager and the city’s latest $7.67-billion budget.
the previous administration of valérie plante had allotted a budget of $824.07 million to the police force last year. but the new 2026 budget shows that as of last fall, when the budget was being put together, the department was forecasting its actual spending would reach $884.66 million at the end of 2025.
however, when asked about the overrun on monday, city manager benoit dagenais said the police force had started cutting expenses in 2025 and that the deficit will have evolved since the budget table was put together.
“the anticipated deficit (for 2025) for the montreal police has decreased,” dagenais said when asked about it at a press conference to unveil the 2026 municipal budget of the new administration of mayor soraya martinez ferrada, who was elected in november.
“the montreal police are working in terms of reducing overtime, in terms of different elements,” dagenais said. he added that the police this year “are continuing to work on this issue to reduce expenses, notably for overtime.”
dagenais noted, for example, that the police department had worked to hire additional officers.
in 2024, the montreal police department blew its operating budget by more than $48 million, which police chief fady dagher said was due mostly to overtime by personnel.
the montreal police department has gone over its allotted budget each year for years. the police department is an agglomeration responsibility and the mayors of the island suburbs that contribute to the budget have criticized what they see as consistent under-budgeting by the administration in power at city hall.
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under the new ensemble montréal administration of martinez ferrada, the city has set a budget of $860.29 million for the police in 2026. the forecasted real spending for 2025 was $884.67 million before the cost-cutting kicked in. the city’s audited financial statements for 2025 are to be released in the spring. the police department’s real spending in 2024 was $869.02 million.
remuneration makes up about three-quarters of the police budget. in 2026, total police remuneration is forecasted to be $660.7 million.
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