Two Montreal police officers working in the Montreal‑North borough have been suspended following allegations of discriminatory and racist behaviour toward members of the public, police Chief Fady Dagher said Friday evening.
Dagher said 14 other officers from Station 39 have been reassigned to duties that do not involve contact with the public in connection with the case.
The two suspended officers are under investigation by the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions for possible Criminal Code offences.
Dagher said the investigation began in March after information was brought forward by members of the Montreal police service.
Earlier Friday, La Presse and Radio‑Canada reported officers allegedly cut the hair of racialized individuals and kept it as “trophies.” Dagher confirmed during a news conference that those claims are among the allegations.
Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada was notified Friday of the incident and put out a statement on social media.
“I immediately contacted the minister of public security. We agreed to work together to accelerate the rollout of body cameras within the SPVM. Any form of racial profiling or violence is unacceptable,” she said in a statement.
In an update Saturday morning, Martinez Ferrada acknowledged the anger and concern the allegations have sparked, particularly among racialized communities.
“I want to speak directly to the citizens and residents of Montréal-Nord and also to anyone who has felt targeted, watched, profiled and unheard,” she told reporters.
“To those who have come forward and felt that their concerns were not taken seriously, to those who feel that nothing ever changed, I hear you.”
Martinez Ferrada said the allegations have raised legitimate questions about trust between police and the communities they serve.
“The concerns, the anger and the questions raised by these allegations are entirely legitimate,” she said.
“The relationship and trust between our institutions and the community are … very fragile. And in some cases, that trust sometimes has also been broken.”
Martinez Ferrada also urged residents to allow the investigation to proceed while promising answers.
“I want to assure people that I will ask all the tough questions.”
– With files from The Canadian Press
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