Montreal police fire 7 officers over misconduct allegations - Global News

Montreal police say seven members of the force have been fired following allegations of discriminatory and racist conduct.

At a news conference Monday, SPVM Chief Fady Dagher said “the culture of silence” has been broken.

“Some people say there are never any consequences at the SPVM. Today we are announcing exceptional measures,” he said.

He added that the actions of the officers who were dismissed were “malicious” and not accidental mistakes. He said the force made the choice in the name of the public interest and public security of the population.

“We judge a police offer based on how they treat a person who cannot defend themselves,” he said.

The news comes three days after Dagher promised serious action following a series of scandals that led the police service to suspend at least six officers in recent months.

On Friday, he said the evidence still to emerge from the series of misconduct investigations involving his officers will be “catastrophic,” warning the public that “there’s more to come.”

The allegations include criminal misconduct and racism by some officers, including members of a patrol unit in Montreal North that police dismantled in the summer.

The unit operated in a multicultural borough in the city’s northeast with a history of tensions between residents and police, including allegations of police brutality.

Police began investigating the team in March after receiving internal complaints about alleged racism and criminal misconduct, including reports that officers cut the hair of racialized citizens and kept it as trophies.

The seven people who were dismissed also include personnel from a downtown station where two officers have been suspended in recent months for alleged discriminatory and derogatory acts.

Police also announced last week that an officer could face criminal charges after allegedly concealing evidence related to a situation involving domestic violence in 2025.

Radio-Canada reported Thursday that an officer responding to a call in connection with the case allegedly deleted video evidence provided by the victim on her phone. The report suggested the officer knew the alleged perpetrator.

Other allegations that have surfaced in recent months include an officer allegedly urinating on a person experiencing homelessness, and another who allegedly posed for photos mocking suspects under arrest in humiliating positions.