Montreal police misconduct and racism scandal

A scandal involving allegations of racism, discrimination, and misconduct within a 16-member patrol unit in the Montreal-Nord neighborhood has led to the unit being disbanded. Following an internal investigation, three officers were suspended, three were reassigned to administrative duties, and 10 others were transferred to different units. While allegations were submitted to the public prosecutor, the prosecutor’s office stated that no case for criminal charges had been submitted regarding specific events from June.

In response to the controversy and community concerns regarding systemic issues such as racial profiling, Montreal Police Chief Fady Dagher has committed to an overhaul of the institutional culture. The Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) launched a plan to rebuild community trust, including the deployment of a new community team.

Chief Dagher, the first racialized person to lead the Montreal police, later admitted in an interview to having experienced racial profiling both as a victim and as a perpetrator. He stated that he had racially profiled individuals while working with the Montreal police anti-gang squad during the 1990s, noting that a conversation with a street-gang member eventually changed his perspective.