Should Montreal be using lower-priced civilian employees instead of police officers to direct traffic?

The sight of Montreal police in festive pants guiding pedestrians and drivers through problematic intersections has become ubiquitous in this summer of omnipresent construction zones.

Anywhere from 60 to 250 police officers a day are employed to work traffic detail. They volunteer for the shifts, which last anywhere from four to eight hours, and do it on their off time so as not to take away resources from regular policing duties. They are paid overtime fees of one and a half times their regular salaries. A police officer with six years’ experience earns $77,000 not including benefits, which works out to $62 an hour for directing traffic.