Montréal police fire seven employees over racism and misconduct toward vulnerable people allegations

Montréal police chief Fady Dagher announced at a news conference on November 2 that seven employees have been dismissed over allegations of "discrimination and racism" and conduct toward vulnerable people. Five of them worked at Station 39 in Montréal-Nord and two at downtown Station 21. Dagher called the dismissals unprecedented, with criminal investigations still under way and more announcements expected in the coming weeks. (Photo is a file image of a Montréal police vehicle, not the officers involved.)

Two stations, two controversies

Station 39 has been at the centre of a racism controversy since June, when Dagher disclosed that 16 officers were under investigation over alleged hateful acts against Black and Arab people during police stops. Station 21 drew scrutiny last month after Quebec's public security minister ordered two investigations into an officer accused of urinating on homeless people while in uniform; Dagher said on Monday that his information concerns a "dishonourable act of a similar nature, but not on a human," with the details under investigation by the province's police watchdog, the Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes.

Allegations unverified independently; charges up to the Crown

Dagher confirmed the force has turned its investigative files over to the provincial Crown prosecutor's office, which will decide whether to file criminal charges. He could not confirm that no more officers would be sanctioned, while reiterating his belief that 99 per cent of officers do their jobs well and noting that some had spoken out against their colleagues. The Canadian Press said it has not independently verified the allegations in the news report, and details reported by La Presse have not been confirmed.

Montréal's mayor called the move an "unprecedented" step toward rebuilding citizens' trust, while the executive director of the civil rights group Red Coalition called for an independent public inquiry into "systemic racism, racial profiling, discriminatory policing practices and institutional accountability" within the force.