In a bid to overhaul its institutional culture, the Montreal police service has launched a broad response plan aimed at restoring community trust and fighting discrimination following allegations of racial profiling by a group of officers in the city’s north end.

The initiative combines immediate disciplinary actions with long-term oversight, prioritizing transparent communication and joint accountability with local residents.

It was announced during a public meeting with the city’s public security commission at city hall Tuesday night, where dozens of residents showed up to hear Chief Fady Dagher address the scandal — and demand change.

The allegations of racial profiling by a group of officers in the city’s Montréal-Nord borough were made public in June during an unprecedented late-night news conference headed by Dagher.

He revealed that 16 officers at Station 39 were being investigated for racist and hateful acts allegedly committed against Black and Arab people during police stops. As a result, Dagher announced that the 16-member patrol was being disbanded.

The probe was launched after colleagues of the officers reported the behaviour, he said.

On Tuesday, Dagher said three officers have since been suspended and the investigation is ongoing, with the latest suspension being on June 18.

Central to the police service’s new strategy is an open invitation for both internal and external whistleblowing to root out misconduct.

Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) officials emphasized that all future policy changes will be drafted in direct partnership with neighbourhood stakeholders and community organizations.

Long and difficult process, chief says

On Tuesday, Dagher said bringing change is a long and difficult process. There is much more work to do, he said, speaking to a packed room. The crowd spilled out into the building and many were turned away. Online, hundreds of viewers were watching the live feed.

Dagher was faced with dozens of questions from concerned citizens who challenged not just the alleged racism, but also the money spent defending the police service, as officers are regularly accused of misconduct.

He stressed that the decision to dismantle the unit does not mean all 16 officers are accused of misconduct and that the internal investigation is ongoing.

Dagher also said the unit was one of seven groups working rotating shifts at the station.

Cedric Couture, the Montreal police deputy director responsible for neighbourhood policing, said a new team was deployed in the community on July 13 to replace the dismantled unit.

Residents push police chief for change

The allegations have renewed long-standing concerns about racism and racial profiling in Montréal-Nord and prompted calls from residents for more information about the investigation.

Joel DeBellefeuille, a human rights advocate with the Red Coalition organization, said there are documented complaints of racial profiling and problematic police interactions going back 17 years, with concerns raised numerous times. But all these years later, he said, “we are still here.”

“In my humble opinion, you cannot expect different results if you continue beating the same horse,” he said.

Jennifer Sidney said people in the community fear the SPVM and demanded to know when systemic racism will be eradicated from the police service.

Dagher expressed empathy to those who feel fear in the community while defending the concrete actions being taken to improve the situation. He emphasized that there are criminal investigations and three suspensions, and insisted that efforts are continuing.

Jean Paris said she doesn’t mean to be offensive when she asked, “What is it that makes the white man think that he is more important than the Black man?”

Dagher said he feels there is only one race — nobody is above anybody else.

“For me, there is no difference,” he said.

Prosecutor’s spokesperson Anick Cantin says police have not submitted a request to initiate criminal proceedings against officers concerned by the events mentioned during the June news conference.

Dagher assured the public that the police are working closely with Quebec’s Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (DPCP).

He said solving this problem of racial profiling and discrimination is a step-by-step process, and while he understands it is frustrating, the police service is moving in the right direction.