‘I’m here today to set the record straight’: Montreal police chief on recent criminal activity, arson, gunshots, extortion, arrests of teens

SPVM police chief Fady Dagher wants to set the record straight and addressed Montrealers directly on Thursday afternoon to provide an update on criminal events in the city over the past few days – and extortion.

This comes after several arsons on businesses and at least 19 shots being fired on the downtown office building of Emile Benamor – who owns the buildings that burned on Oct. 4 on Notre Dame Street East and March 2023 at Place d’Youville in Old Montreal –  a total of nine people died in those fires. No one was injured in the shooting – three young people aged 17, 19 and 20 were arrested – but police would not confirm if the case is linked to extortion.

“I’m here today to set the record straight and reassure all Montrealers. From the outside, I would like to emphasize that the SPVM has always made the fight against organized crime a priority. Both in our investigations and on the field,” he said at a press conference.

He was accompanied by Inspector David Shane, head of communications for the SPVM, and Commandant Francis Renaud, head of the SPVM’s Organized Crime Section.

Police say these criminal events have created a feeling of anxiety among the population, particularly among business owners.

“The phenomenon of extortion is not new; it’s the players involved in organized crime and the context that have changed over time. The SPVM wishes to reassure all citizens that the fight against organized crime is a priority. The SPVM can count on specialized and determined teams, and every means are deployed to ensure the public’s safety,” write the force in a press release.

Renaud said he has seen up to 40 cases of extortion over the summer and the problem is primarily downtown – with a focus on the south region of the area.

“There’s some kind of business owners that can be on both sides of the metals,” says Cmdr. Francis Renaud, Head of the Organized Crime Section of the SPVM. “But there’s also a good business owner that didn’t do [anything] that are victims right now.”

What has changed over the years, Renaud said, is that the pyramid structure that long prevailed in Montreal organized crime for decades has collapsed over the past 10 to 15 years. It has given way to a less hierarchical, cell-type structure that is more volatile.

“However, this type of crime is on the increase, and we’re rolling up our sleeves to deal with it. To maximize our agility and the effectiveness of our operations, I have asked our Organized Crime Section to coordinate all investigations targeting retail extortion crimes. The goal is to maximize the efforts of all SPVM units, whether they be specialized investigation units, regional investigations, operational support teams or the gendarmerie,” said Dagher.

“If you are a business owner who has been the victim of a threat, don’t hesitate to contact us quickly to report the situation. Our teams, who have the required expertise, need to be made aware of your situation to be able to help you,” said Dagher.

He made a plea to parents of youth being recruited by criminal gangs: if officers knock on their door with information that their children are headed for trouble, please hear them out.

“Right in front of you you have three fathers, we have kids, and we know what we’re talking about when it comes to anxiety to our kids. So I’m asking you, please, as soon as you feel any change of behavior of your kid, the number of times that he goes to classroom, that if he’s missing the classroom, the behaviour with his friend, new friend that you don’t know about, the different times that he’s coming back at home, they’re running away, all those signs are extremely, extremely important for us to know about it.

“We can save them, we can stop them from going down this criminal path,” he said. “But there are parents who don’t believe us — they don’t believe they have a problem at home.”

Dagher said gangs are increasingly preying on children as young as 12. 

“They want to be notorious, so it’s kind of a cool vibe to do all kinds of stuff out there,” Renaud said, speaking of some of the reasons why youth are taking part in criminal activities. “And the other thing is they might get, let’s say, a six-month salary at McDonald’s doing one night of bad stuff.”

Montreal police have made a spate of arrests of younger and younger suspects for gang-related activity.

On Wednesday, they announced they had arrested seven teens between the ages of 14 and 17 last week who allegedly belonged to a gang based in the city’s St-Léonard borough. They are suspected in numerous violent crimes including robbery, firearms offences, arson and extortion.

There was also the case of a 14-year-old from Montreal who died in the Beauce region after reportedly being sent to attack a bunker allegedly belonging to a Hells Angels puppet gang in Frampton, Que.

“I think it’s awful. I think it’s disgusting to see adults using young kids to do the dirty things they can’t do because they don’t want to take the risk,” Dagher said.

#WATCH: "Please contact us extremely quickly," says Montreal police chief Fady Dagher, calling on businesses to report instances of extortion. There's been an increase in this type of criminal activity in the city.

READ: https://t.co/kYn7AguINM pic.twitter.com/10Uy46QrBN

— CityNews Montreal (@CityNewsMTL) October 10, 2024

In Quebec City, the Parti Québécois is calling for legislative hearings to gather testimony from parents, police and community groups on the rising number of youth being used as “cannon fodder” by organized crime.

During an exchange at the national assembly, Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon mentioned the fears in Montreal over violent street gangs enlisting youth to commit car theft, fraud and murder. In response, Quebec Premier François Legault called the recruitment of teenagers into organized crime appalling and unacceptable.

At an earlier news conference, St-Pierre Plamondon, who represents a Montreal riding, framed it as a serious societal issue. “Our young people, particularly in the Montreal region, are literally being used as cannon fodder in a war between criminal groups,” St-Pierre Plamondon said. “The question is being asked … have we lost control over street gangs?”

The cooperation of the entire population is important in the fight against organized crime, police add.

Anyone with information about criminal activity can contact 911 or their local police station. They can also contact Info-Crime Montréal anonymously and confidentially at 514-393-1133 or via the reporting form available on infocrimemontreal.ca. 

Separately, Dagher said he was confident there would be an arrest in the Old Montreal fire last Friday that claimed the lives of a mother and daughter from France. Léonor Geraudie, 43, and seven-year-old Vérane Reynaud Geraudie, were identified by authorities. But police declined to say whether the case has any ties to the rash of extortion-related attacks.

“Please know that the SPVM and [partners] are committed to getting to the bottom of this tragedy, and we will get there, and we will get there very soon.”

-With files from The Canadian Press