Members of CUPE 3812, cash messengers with Garda, were the victims of an attack Wednesday evening in Brossard, Quebec. The attackers struck while the guards were stopped at a financial institution on Taschereau Boulevard. Suspects locked the guards inside the building and attempted to break through the rear door of the armoured truck with a wide-bucket excavator.
“We are relieved our members emerged unscathed and we were there to make sure they were receiving support. However, we call, once again, for the Government of Quebec and the Ministry of Public Safety to establish regulations that adequately address the issues involved in the transportation of valuables and the safety of cash messengers,” said Jean-Luc Brosseau, President of CUPE 3812.
For years, these pleas have been ignored, despite the fact that cash messengers are on the front lines and thus in the best position to point out grave shortcomings in the safety rules and guidelines surrounding the profession. Numerous submissions have been made to both the Minister of Public Safety and the Bureau of Private Security (BSP, the self-regulatory body that governs the private security industry in Quebec), but neither has acted to enhance the safety of the public or cash messengers. We are very hopeful that the new government will perk up its ears and take the action that is required on this matter.
“How can we tolerate this situation, where the cash messengers who are putting their lives on the line every day have no voice with the BSP?” asked the local president. “The cash messenger profession is special, unique and carries a high level of risk each and every day. It is high time that action be taken to ensure that the transportation of valuables is safe for everyone at all times!”