According to the latest government data, a grand total of 500 bureaucrats have lost their jobs under Premier Philippe Couillard’s government … out of a public workforce of nearly 600,000.

If the provincial and local governments ever want to get serious about cutting spending, perhaps they could look at a recent report from the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI), which suggests privatizing some police services. 

Don’t be fooled by the sound of this idea; it actually makes a lot of sense. First, crimes per police officer have been falling for 25 years and yet governments keep hiring more police. Not only are they more numerous, but they also have more tasks that, according to the report, are removed from an officer’s three main responsibilities: having good comprehension an interpretation of the law, interacting with people in tense situations and using physical force to arrest or calm people down.

In fact, a study quoted by MEI states that only 22 out of the 215 tasks usually attributed to police require all three attributes. Another report from British Columbia says officers spend 40% of their time on administrative tasks such as analysing pictures from photo radar or writing reports, none of which require a high level of policing skills.

Therefore, MEI suggests that such “menial” tasks be given to private security agencies. Villages such as Saint-Lazare and Richelieu, which are otherwise served by the Sûreté du Québec, are already doing this when it comes to surveillance of public spaces. In case of emergency, the SQ responds, treating their calls as a top priority.

Increasing such privatization of work would be a huge money saver. The average police officer in Montreal earns $120,000, compared to $40,000 for the average security agent; the ratio is $140,000 vs. $30,000 in Toronto. For an impaired driving spot check, using six security agents and two police (instead of eight police) would mean spending $2,332 (instead of nearly $5,000) in Montreal and $2,330 (instead of more than $6,000) in Toronto.

Other places have tried such a model and still seen a decrease in crime. The business district around Grand Central Station in New York, for example, privatized “patrolling, surveillance, alerting the police to crimes and helping citizens as needed” such as giving directions. Between 1988 and 1993 crime in the sector decreased by 53%.

In short, turning over minor tasks to private security agents is not only a huge money saver but would in turn allow police to focus on their core responsibilities. Considering the frailty of public finances, governments should definitely consider this excellent option.