7 Montreal Police Fired Over Racism Allegations, Chief Says
(MENAFN) Seven Montreal police employees have lost their jobs over allegations of racist and discriminatory conduct, Police Chief Fady Dagher announced Monday, according to a national broadcaster.
At a press conference, Dagher said two of the dismissals came from Station 21 and five from Station 39. The administrative firings follow an internal disciplinary investigation. Separate criminal probes remain underway, and Dagher said any decision on charges rests with Crown prosecutors.
“We will not accept acts that tarnish the uniform,” he said. He noted that collecting evidence is a long process, but “we live under the rule of law.”
Station 39, in the Montreal-Nord district, has been at the center of a racism scandal since June. That month, Dagher disclosed that 16 officers were under investigation over alleged hateful acts against Black and Arab people during police stops.
Station 21, which covers parts of downtown Montreal, came under scrutiny last month. Quebec’s domestic security minister ordered two separate investigations into an officer accused of urinating on homeless people while in uniform. A second officer from the station was suspended over alleged acts of humiliation targeting racialized people, the broadcaster reported.
Dagher conceded that public trust has been “largely weakened” but said he is confident it can be rebuilt.
Pressed on why the officers were not dismissed sooner, he said he wanted to investigate potential accomplices as well, a process that takes time. He admitted victims have been “waiting too long.”
The police service has overhauled its recruitment, training, promotion and internal investigation procedures, he said. It has also introduced tools that let officers report colleagues for misconduct.
Dagher vowed to be “merciless” toward the roughly 1% of officers who deliberately tarnish the uniform.
In a separate case, Quebec’s Crown prosecution office is reportedly investigating an officer accused of deleting evidence from a domestic violence victim’s phone in 2025, according to sources cited by a public broadcaster.
Dagher said more announcements are expected in the coming weeks, with further information to be released in November.
At a press conference, Dagher said two of the dismissals came from Station 21 and five from Station 39. The administrative firings follow an internal disciplinary investigation. Separate criminal probes remain underway, and Dagher said any decision on charges rests with Crown prosecutors.
“We will not accept acts that tarnish the uniform,” he said. He noted that collecting evidence is a long process, but “we live under the rule of law.”
Station 39, in the Montreal-Nord district, has been at the center of a racism scandal since June. That month, Dagher disclosed that 16 officers were under investigation over alleged hateful acts against Black and Arab people during police stops.
Station 21, which covers parts of downtown Montreal, came under scrutiny last month. Quebec’s domestic security minister ordered two separate investigations into an officer accused of urinating on homeless people while in uniform. A second officer from the station was suspended over alleged acts of humiliation targeting racialized people, the broadcaster reported.
Dagher conceded that public trust has been “largely weakened” but said he is confident it can be rebuilt.
Pressed on why the officers were not dismissed sooner, he said he wanted to investigate potential accomplices as well, a process that takes time. He admitted victims have been “waiting too long.”
The police service has overhauled its recruitment, training, promotion and internal investigation procedures, he said. It has also introduced tools that let officers report colleagues for misconduct.
Dagher vowed to be “merciless” toward the roughly 1% of officers who deliberately tarnish the uniform.
In a separate case, Quebec’s Crown prosecution office is reportedly investigating an officer accused of deleting evidence from a domestic violence victim’s phone in 2025, according to sources cited by a public broadcaster.
Dagher said more announcements are expected in the coming weeks, with further information to be released in November.
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