Lodging a complaint

You too can take part in BSP's mission to protect the public. If you observe any of the following situations, we encourage you to file a formal complaint with the BSP:

• An enterprise offering private security services does not have a valid licence.
• An individual carrying on private security activities does not have a valid licence.
• A security agent that behaves unprofessionally in contradiction with the standards of conduct.
• An employer hires an individual who carries on private security activities without the required licence.
• The Private Security Act or its regulations are violated in any other way.

The Department of Investigations and Inspections (DII) is responsible for receiving and processing complaints filed with BSP. To learn more about DII and its powers, go to the Investigations and Inspections. 

To file a complaint against an individual or enterprise, you can:

Complete and sign the form then forward by email to plaintes@bspquebec.ca or by mail to the Department of Investigations and Inspections at the following address :

Direction, Enquêtes et inspections
Bureau de la sécurité privée 
1611, boulevard Crémazie Est, bureau 500 
Montréal (Québec) H2M 2P2

•  Call 514 748-7480 and select Option 2.

Please note that following an investigation or inspection, a penal or disciplinary process may be initiated in relation to any person referred to in your complaint. In this situation, the information you provided could be sent to any person referred to and be used in the proceedings. 

Every complaint is processed in a timely manner. However, given the varying complexity of different cases, we cannot determine in advance the time it will take to handle each one.

In each case, your complaint will be dealt with as follows:

1) Receipt and analysis of admissibility

Complaints we receive are analyzed with due diligence to determine whether an inspection or investigation is required. At this stage, DII may contact you to obtain additional information. Your cooperation is essential for proceeding with the case!

Following the analysis, BSP might not initiate any inspection or investigation if it deems the complaint to be abusive, frivolous, groundless or outside its jurisdiction under the PSA and its regulations.

2) Conduct of an investigation or inspection

During the investigation or inspection, you may be called upon to testify to the facts you are aware of before BSP investigators or inspectors. Furthermore, if you have in your possession documents that, to your knowledge, may be relevant to the investigation, you must keep them and not destroy  them. We encourage you to send them to the investigators or inspectors on your own initiative. In any case, you must provide them upon request.

3) Findings

When your complaint relates to offence under the PSA subject to penal sanctions, DII's findings will be sent to Bureau des infractions et des amendes at Ministère de la Justice, which will handle the subsequent penal proceedings.

When your complaint relates to the violation of the standards of conduct, DII's findings will be sent to BSP's Department of Legal Affairs, which will determine whether an administrative sanction should be imposed, and the  terms and conditions of the sanction, if any. If there is a licence sanction (suspension or cancellation), it will appear in the Register of licence holders.