In line with the First International francophone colloquium on 'The Police and Citizens' which recently took place in Quebec, the International Centre for the Prevention of Crime welcomed on May 30th 2005, Mr. Sébastien ROCHÉ, an internationally renown French researcher on safety and prevention issues. [This visit was made possible with the support of the Sûreté du Québec (SQ). We would like to thank Ms Mireille Laforge, currently advisor at the International Relations and Protocol Department, for her invaluable contribution.

 

Mr ROCHÉ is Director of Research at the CNRS and Director of the Safety and Society section. He also lectures in Grenoble, Toulouse and at the École Nationale supérieure de la Police of St-Cyr in Mont d’Or (Lyon). He is a member of the École du Haut Conseil à l’Intégration (School of the Higher Council on Integration), Conseil d’administration de l’École Nationale Supérieure de la police (Administration Board of the Higher National Police School) and of the Comité permanent des experts du Conseil national de la Sécurité routière. (Permanent Experts’ Committee related to the National Road Security Council) and has written many books and articles on public safety issues.

 

Mr ROCHÉ is particularly interested in the implementation of  community policing in Quebec. Therefore, half of the day focused on this particular theme, and fostered exchanges between representatives of the Sûreté du Québec, the Montreal Police, and the International Centre for the Prevention of Crime. Later in the day, he met with the President of the Commission de la Sécurité publique de la Ville de Montréal (Public Safety Commission of the City of Montreal) and the Mayor of the district of Dorval, to help contextualise the development of community policing in Quebec. Finally, Mr Roché visited a police station where he was welcomed by the local Director, Ms Hélène Charron, and her team. This visit increased Mr Roché's understanding of the way community policing currently operates in the city of Montreal.