Serious allegations against the Montreal Police: Mayor Ferrada wants to accelerate body camera project
Posted June 13, 2026 11:07 am.
Last Updated June 13, 2026 6:22 pm.
Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada reacted Saturday with dismay to allegations of discriminatory, hateful and racist behaviour by police officers of the Montreal Police Service (SPVM) in the Montreal North borough.
At a press conference at City Hall on Saturday morning, she called for calm the day after the dismantling of an entire team of SPVM patrol officers from neighbourhood station 39, while acknowledging that this situation was once again undermining the bond of trust between citizens and the police.
“The concern, anger, and questions that this situation raises are perfectly normal,” said Martinez Ferrada. “And the bond of trust between the population and those who are there to protect us is, well, weakened.”
“So today, I call for calm, I call for everyone to act responsibly,” she continued.
On Friday evening, SPVM director Fady Dagher announced that two officers of the police force were suspended following allegations of discriminatory and racist behaviour towards citizens of Montreal North, an area of the metropolis with a strong presence of visible minority groups and a history of strained relations with law enforcement.
“Surprised by the magnitude and the seriousness of the situation for police chief to hold press conference at 1030 on Friday night,” said Fo Nemi, Executive director at CRARR. “It means that something must be very, very, very, shall we say, critical.”
“We applaud the Director of Mr. Dagher, Chief, I mean, this is the first Chief of Police in the city of Montreal that has the audacity to take corrective actions, immediate corrective action against officers that have been playing racist behavior,” said Alain Babineau, Director of racial profiling & public safety, red coalition.
These two officers could face criminal charges. Their case is currently being reviewed by the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions.
“No young police officer comes on service, a police service, and all of a sudden launch into these kind of egregious racist behavior,” said Babineau. “These officers came on a job and they were coached and they were allowed to trade these atrocities for a long time.”
The SPVM launched an investigation in March following internal complaints alleging “unacceptable actions and behaviour” by officers at Station 39. Dagher indicated that the investigation is still ongoing, but he deemed it appropriate to disband the team in light of the available information.
Dagher specified that 14 other officers from the same post had been transferred or reassigned to tasks that do not require any contact with the public.
Several media outlets had reported certain information, including that police officers had allegedly cut the hair of racialized citizens to make “trophies.” Dagher indicated at a press conference that this was “part of the allegations.”
The police officers involved in this case reportedly have three to four years of experience. Two women are part of the group of officers, the others are men.
Body cameras
The mayor of Montreal indicated that she had spoken with the deputy premier and Minister of Internal Security, Ian Lafrenière, particularly to advance the project on the wearing of body surveillance cameras integrated into the uniform of SPVM police officers.
“This is an important tool that can effectively strengthen transparency. Better documenting interventions gives the feeling of protecting both citizens and police officers,” she stressed at a press conference.
“The entire justice system behind the use of cameras is the biggest conversation we will have to have with the Quebec government.”
The City of Montreal is already planning to invest $40 million in deploying body cameras and intervention cameras on police vehicles. Martinez Ferrada explained that legal questions remain regarding the use of these tools before they are put into service.
” I would like to stress is the municipal administration, the mayor has to devote more resources to ensuring that these efforts are sustained, they’re supported by adequate resources and that goes beyond basically just equipping police officers with the body cams,” said Fo Niemi. “But it’s about bringing police services closer to the people, making them more accessible, making them more equitable and making them non-biased and put it this way, non-racist in terms of serving the multiracial population of Montreal North and beyond.”
According to the mayor of Montreal, “systemic racism exists” and it must be spoken about openly to find ways to correct the situation. She finds comfort in the fact that it was fellow police officers who denounced the situation.
“The police service has changed in recent years and I am pleased to see that police officers have also spoken out about what happened; it is a sign that the internal culture is also changing,” said Martinez Ferrada.
The Montreal Police Brotherhood also reacted to the situation.
In a statement released Saturday, the union said it “takes note” of the allegations of racism targeting members of a work team at neighbourhood station no. 39. It emphasizes “that any form of racism is intolerable and contravenes its values and those of Montreal police officers.”
“What is alleged is totally unacceptable and shocking,” acknowledges the president of the Fraternity, Yves Francoeur.
The union points out, however, that “the presumption of innocence applies to all its members and that almost all of Montreal’s 4,600 police officers act with full respect and according to standards.”
Fréchette worried
Premier Christine Fréchette also expressed great concern.
“The alleged actions, if confirmed, are incompatible with the values of respect and integrity that must guide the actions of all our police forces (…) It is essential that the full truth be revealed quickly about this situation and that appropriate measures be applied,” his message on the social network X, published late Friday evening, stated.
For its part, Québec solidaire has called for “the criminal investigation to be expanded to shed full light on the scope and seriousness of the facts.”
“Are these practices limited to station 39?” asked QS spokesperson Ruba Ghazal. “I am calling on Christine Fréchette to ensure that this investigation will eradicate the racist and abhorrent practices that have plagued this police station for many years.”
– With information from Coralie Laplante
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
