Jean Doré funeral: Montreal police will wear uniform pants

Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre welcomes a decision by the Montreal Police Brotherhood to allow its members to dress in full uniform for Monday's funeral of former Montreal mayor Jean Doré.

The union announcement came Tuesday evening – one day after Coderre put in an official request, asking officers to forego their camouflage pants and red baseball caps.

"I said, 'I want to see the whole uniform,'" Coderre said.

• Montreal police considering ditching camo pants for Jean Doré's funeral
• Apology wanted after Montreal police wear army pants to state funeral

Last week, police faced criticism after members of the force wore those pants to former premier Jacques Parizeau's funeral. Coderre demanded an apology, saying the decision to wear the camoflauge pants to the statesman's funeral showed a lack of class.

Montreal's police officers have been wearing camouflage pants and red baseball caps instead of their formal uniform since 2014 as a way to protest against the province's pension reform bill.

The Montreal Police Brotherhood released a statement Tuesday evening, saying that officers involved in the visitation and funeral service will wear their full uniform.

Those outside the service — on traffic and crowd-control duty — will wear uniform pants but will wear a red baseball cap.

That decision to allow officers outside the church to keep their red caps is "just to save face," Coderre suggested, adding that his primary concern is that officers don't show up at the church in their camouflage pants.

"After what we went through last week, I think this is the least they could do. It's important for Mr. Doré, for his family and for most Montrealers," the mayor said. 

Doré died Monday at the age of 70 of pancreatic cancer.

The funeral is on Monday, June 22.