HITTING CRIMINALS WHERE IT HURTS

Surete du Quebec Chief Normand Proulx Says His Force's Priority This
Year Is to Target the Heads of Organized Crime and The
Money-Laundering That Keeps Them Rich and Untouchable

When Normand Proulx joined the Surete du Quebec 30 years ago, he was
fulfilling a childhood dream.

The provincial police force was different then, and so was
crime.

Back then, radar devices were still considered high-tech and
expensive. An entire squad of patrollers would have to share one. Now
they are standard equipment in every patrol car.

Drug trafficking was a problem back then too, but it was not as
organized as it is now, Proulx said during a recent interview.

Six months after taking over as chief of the Surete's 5,100 police
officers, Proulx said the police force will target organized crime at
its highest levels, the people controlling it and the money they launder.

"What I am interested in with regards to organized crime is the heads
of the groups along with the money-laundering. That is the priority we
will have in 2004 with our partners," said Proulx in reference to
other police forces.

Veteran police investigators often say that tackling money-laundering
is an unsexy and thankless job. The priority on resources more often
goes towards street-level crime because it gives the immediate
appearance that something has been done to make a community safer. But
the strategy often leaves criminals at the highest levels untouched.

"(Investigating money-laundering) is more complicated and complex. It
requires investigation techniques that are different and different
methods. It also often takes a long time. But if we never start we'll
never do it," Proulx said.

"We can take on organized crime. We did it with Printemps 2001 with
the Hells Angels. That was an investigation that took four years. We
neutralized that organization or at least destabilized it. Now what we
hope is to take on organized crime, no matter what its origins are or
its criminal activities and to take it on at a global level.

"Organized crime has no territorial boundaries, no geographic
boundaries and have methods that are out of the ordinary. Organized
crime has a reach everywhere. Not just on the island of Montreal. So
we have to work together."

During his career, Proulx has worked as a patroller, investigator and
head of investigations in St. Eustache. He was head of the bodyguard
division from 1988 to 1992 and was once a bodyguard for a member of
the late Premier Robert Bourassa's family.

His work as a bodyguard also produced one of the more memorable
moments of his career. It came when he was assigned to be part of a
security team, along with Scotland Yard and the RCMP, to protect
Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguso, when they visited Quebec City during
the summer of 1989. The royal couple toured sites like the Museum of
Civilization and the Chateau Frontenac where there were thousands of
people gathered.

"It was about 34C outside and we were wearing a shirt and tie,
bullet-proof vests, walkie-talkies, our weapons, basically everything.
On that day we had to change clothes three times because we were
drenched. But it was a good memory."

Proulx said that when he first joined the SQ in 1974 his goal was to
become a captain. But by 1998, at the age of 42, he had been named
deputy chief as part of a reassigning of officers and civilians at the
highest levels of the force as controversy swirled during the Poitras
Commission.

Guy Coulombe, a former Hydro-Quebec president, had been assigned to
run things two years earlier, beginning a seven year stretch where
civilians ran the SQ. It ended in June when Proulx was sworn in and
replaced outgoing chie f Florent Gagne.

At that time, Premier Jean Charest said that returning a uniform to
the position "demonstrates the confidence our government has in its
police officers."

Besides targeting the highest levels of organized crime, Proulx said
he wants to place an emphasis on crime prevention programs. In
November, he gave a speech of encouragement to hundreds of SQ
personnel involved in its recently formed foundation that provides aid
to community groups.

"The difficulty with prevention is that we don't know the results. We
don't know how many crimes we prevented or how many young people did
not fall into drugs. But we have the firm conviction that we are doing
it for the community and for the good of some people. Inevitably,
there is going to be some good from that," Proulx said.

Crime prevention programs often involve making communities feel more
familiar and comfortable with the police officers who patrol their
streets. Proulx said one investigation that he was involved in years
ago that sticks in his mind proved the importance of such programs.

The case involved a man in his 50s who was coaching baseball and had
been a volunteer in a town for several years. The man also distributed
baseball uniforms for teams. Youngsters would go to his home on
Tuesdays to be fitted for uniforms. The man used the opportunity to
sexually assault some of the boys.

"It took about 10 years before people started to talk about this and
we found out," Proulx said.

The SQ had learned of a couple of victims and began an investigation
which would eventually result in the man being convicted. But during
the probe, Proulx said, he learned a valuable lesson.

"This man called me. He was 25 years old. He said 'I'm not giving you
my name or my address. But I want to say that the man sexually
assaulted me when I was 14. Now I'm married and have two children. I
don't want to be involved in your investigation.' He didn't want his
family to know." Proulx said adding it got him to start thinking about
the value of police prevention programs. He said he has often wondered
about the pain that could have been prevented if that father had not
been afraid to come forward ten years before.

"I learned about how (the volunteer) had caused problems for people
for years and years, the psychological pain. It taught me that we had
work to do when it comes to prevention."