Seven Montreal Officers Dismissed Over Misconduct Allegations

Historic Dismissals In Montreal

Chief Fady Dagher has announced the administrative dismissal of seven officers from the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM). This move is described as historic, as the city has never previously fired this many officers simultaneously. The dismissals involve five officers from Station 39, located in the Montréal-Nord borough, and two officers from Station 21, which serves the downtown core. These actions follow an internal disciplinary investigation into allegations of derogatory acts, as well as discriminatory and racist behavior.

Chief Dagher emphasized that accountability is essential for both the general public and the remaining members of the force. He stated that the goal is to protect the integrity of the profession and ensure that the positive work performed by the majority of officers is not overshadowed by a small minority. According to the Chief, efforts are being made to remove the small percentage of officers who deliberately damage the reputation of the uniform. He noted that the department spent six to seven months digging into these stories and allegations to identify those responsible.

Legal Consequences And Future Employment

The officers who were terminated will not receive any compensation related to their dismissals. Furthermore, they are required to disclose the results of the investigation and their subsequent termination if they apply for employment with any other law enforcement agency. While the administrative firings have been completed, separate criminal investigations remain ongoing. The SPVM has already forwarded a file to the Directeur des poursuites criminelles et pénales (DPCP) to review potential charges related to the discriminatory and racist acts alleged at Station 39.

Despite these dismissals, further concerns have emerged regarding the conduct of other personnel. Reports indicate that the DPCP is investigating another officer from Station 39 who allegedly deleted evidence from a victim’s phone during a domestic violence case in 2025. It has been alleged that when another officer flagged this deletion to superiors, the matter was initially ignored. This development adds to the scrutiny surrounding the operations of the Montréal-Nord station.

Rebuilding Community Trust

In response to these events, Chief Dagher is implementing a new action plan intended to restore trust between the police force and the community. This plan, which is expected to be finalized by the end of December, will focus on revising the processes for recruitment, training, and promotion. The Chief also intends to conduct community consultations, specifically targeting the residents served by Station 39, where the majority of the dismissed officers were stationed. He believes these steps are necessary to address the grievances of the people served by that specific station.

While Chief Dagher noted that the most recent annual review for the SPVM was the best in 15 years, critics argue that the problems are systemic. Lynda Khelil, representing the Ligue des droits et libertés, stated that issues regarding discriminatory profiling and racism have persisted within the force for over four decades. She argues that the problem extends beyond the intent of individual officers and affects the overall functioning of the organization. Khelil is calling for an end to arbitrary stops based on racial profiling and is urging the release of detailed statistics regarding these stops to ensure transparency.

Similarly, Alain Babineau, a former officer and director at the Red Coalition, suggested that these dismissals should have occurred much sooner. He pointed out that the SPVM has introduced various plans to curb discrimination every five years for the last two decades, leading to public fatigue with such promises. Babineau argued that the situation involves more than just a few bad actors and that true satisfaction will only come once the system that allowed such behavior to occur is dismantled. He suggested that the focus should shift from praising standard police work to actively reassuring the communities that have been affected by these actions.