Red Coalition alleges SPVM withholding findings on racial profiling
Posted March 6, 2023 3:24 pm.
Last Updated March 6, 2023 5:42 pm.
The Red Coalition is calling for an independent report on racial profiling within the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SVPM) to be released.
According to the coalition, the SPVM has held the findings of the report — the second such independent report — since the summer of 2022.
“This is unacceptable that the SPVM and the City of Montreal have been sitting on this new report for months! They think the citizens are stupid and we will forget! They’re wrong! The Red Coalition doesn’t forget! Ask the City of Longueuil!,” said Joel DeBellefeuille, director and founder of the Red Coalition, in a statement.
The statement issued by the Red Coalition continues by saying, “Our sources indicate that this second report is far worse than the first one and includes significant pushbacks against the new interpellations policy by front-line officers, as well as concerns by Black officers within the ranks of the SPVM regarding internal systemic discrimination.”
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In the first report, the experts were not mandated to determine the number of cases where racial profiling was used. They were however able to determine that Indigenous and Black people were four to five times more likely than white people to be stopped by police.
“That report reeked of racial profiling! This second report must be terrible and that’s why they are not releasing it! These are public records! They must be made public immediately!” DeBellefeuille said.
In May 2021, SPVM was told to change its culture.
“While the recent creation of the Réseau des employés noirs et afro-descendants (RENA) is an encouraging sign, they must be given the right to voice their concerns in a respectful manner and not be muzzled.” Alain Babineau, director of racial profiling and public safety for the Red Coalition, said.
