Montreal police officers suspended amid probe into ‘racist’ acts during interventions

Two Montreal police officers have been suspended after being suspected of committing repeated “discriminatory and racist” acts toward the people they stopped while on duty, the city’s police chief said Friday.

Chief Fady Dagher made the announcement in a rare late-night news conference at the Montreal police (SPVM) headquarters, describing the situation as “deeply troubling.”

The officers worked at Station 39 in the city’s Montreal-North borough. Three officers have also been removed from night patrol and assigned to other tasks that do not involve interactions with the public. The officers, many of whom are new to the force, were part of a patrol unit in Montreal-North.

Dagher said a team of 14 officers have been disbanded at the station and have been relocated elsewhere.

“Racism and any reprehensible acts will not be tolerated,” said Dagher, adding that holding a news conference on a Friday night was necessary to demonstrate transparency to the public.

“I am extremely disappointed,” he said.

Racial profiling is ‘unacceptable,’ mayor says

The investigation started in March and is still ongoing, but the information that has come to light warranted an “immediate internal investigation,” the chief said.

The allegations constitute serious breaches of the SPVM disciplinary code and the police code of ethics, the chief added.

In a case involving at least one officer, the file has been submitted to the Crown prosecution office to determine whether criminal charges should be laid.

Dagher also repeated his promise to ensure that there was no room for racism in the force.

Reacting to the news Friday night, Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada said Dagher informed her of the situation and that she will wait for the results of the investigation.

“Any form of racial profiling or violence is unacceptable,” she said, adding that she contacted Domestic Security Minister Ian Lafrenière to “expedite” the rollout of police body cameras at the SPVM.

In a post on X, Lafrenière said the allegations were “completely unacceptable and shocking,” adding that he will follow the case closely and “criminal charges may be filed.”

“What reassures me is that it was police officers themselves who reported these actions,” he wrote.

‘A difficult period’ ahead

Dagher appeared to be visibly shaken at times discussing the allegations Friday night and acknowledged that they might generate some “mistrust” within the community.

“It’s going to be a difficult period; I can already see that coming,” he said.

Since taking over as head of the police force in 2023, Dagher has made it his mission to tackle racial profiling head-on. He announced last March that he’s giving himself until 2030 to stamp out systemic racism within the force with a four-point strategy.

In 2019, a report confirmed that certain visible minorities were disproportionately targeted by random police checks.

“For me, building bridges with communities—in a healthy, non-discriminatory way—has been a cause for 30 years now,” the police chief said during Friday’s press conference.

“I am truly disappointed tonight, not for Fady, but for the other police officers. I am extremely disappointed for them, because they do a remarkable job,” he said.

He also said he is prepared to meet with community members following Friday’s announcement.

With files from The Canadian Press