Allegations of racism at SPVM: Quebec to appoint independent observer to oversee investigation
Posted June 15, 2026 9:38 am.
Last Updated June 15, 2026 5:54 pm.
Quebec Deputy Premier and Minister of Internal Security Ian Lafrenière has appointed an independent observer to oversee the investigation into allegations of racism at the Montreal Police Service (SPVM).
The announcement on X by the minister came just after Premier Christine Fréchette said she was not ruling out a public inquiry into the matter.
“I hear the concerns of the population,” Lafrenière wrote. “They are legitimate, and I understand them. We all want light to be shed on these odious events. We all want a transparent process. That is why I will appoint an independent observer to follow the various stages of the investigation and ensure that everything proceeds properly.
“Depending on what is reported, the other processes remain: police ethics, transfer of the investigation to another police service or to the BEI. If the investigation does not shed full light on the events, I do not rule out the possibility of a public inquiry.”
On Friday evening, SPVM chief Fady Dagher announced that two officers from Staton 39 had been suspended following allegations of discriminatory and racist behavior toward residents of Montréal-Nord.
The two officers could face criminal charges. Their case is currently being reviewed by the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (DPCP).
Dagher specified that 14 other officers from the same station had been transferred or reassigned to duties that do not require any contact with the public.
Several media outlets have reported certain details, including that police officers allegedly cut the hair of people of color to use it as “trophies.” Dagher stated at a press conference that this was “part of the allegations.”
Dagher indicated the SPVM’s investigation into the allegations was ongoing, but that the information already corroborated by the police force was sufficient to justify an initial set of measures.
Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada had been calling for an independent investigation.
“We do need to make sure that citizens know that there is an independent process during the inquiry,” the mayor told reporters at city hall Monday. “After that, we will be asking the Commission of the Public Safety to meet this week very quickly in order to ask some questions to the SPVM, among others, if there’s a plan on fighting against discrimination profiling. What can we do as a city, that’s important. Thirdly, making sure that anything that will come out from this inquiry will be transparent, open to the public, because it’s a part of how we’re going to rebuild the trust with citizens.
“I think many Montrealers are angry this morning. Many Montrealers have lost confidence. And it’s upon us to make sure that we are working with the SPVM to rebuild that trust.”
Earlier Monday, Premier Fréchette, speaking on on the Midi info program on Ici première, said a public inquiry into the matter could ultimately be called.
“I’m not ruling anything out at this stage,” she said. “I want us to learn more about how this problem arose and why we’re still dealing with it today before deciding on next steps.”
Premier Fréchette also noted that there are two pilot projects involving body cameras for police officers.
“We want to see the results of these pilot projects before committing to a broader rollout,” she said.
Montreal’s mayor has said she hopes to see progress on that issue.
The day began with the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ) called for the investigation into allegations of racism at the Montreal Police Service (SPVM) to be conducted independently by the Sûreté du Québec (SQ).
In a press release, Liberal MNA Jennifer Maccarone and Madwa-Nika Cadet called on the government to entrust the investigation to the SQ, arguing that it would be appropriate for such an investigation to be conducted by an external police force.
In the Liberals’ view, “allowing the SPVM to investigate its own members in a case of this nature would not meet the public’s expectations for transparency and independence.”
Meanwhile Québec solidaire says it’s gathered nearly 800 signatures in a letter calling for a public and independent inquiry.
Black community organizers seek to present recommendations
On Monday morning, a coalition of grassroots organizers supporting Montreal’s Black communities, Regroupement des intervenants et intervenantes d’origine haïtienne (RIIOH) called for a meeting to be held “as soon as possible” with SPVM Chief Dagher during a press conference.
Sheilla Fortuné, co-spokesperson for the RIIOH, stated that the advocates wish to present to the police chief “a series of recommendations aimed at restoring trust between the police department and the community.”
The allegations against officers assigned to Station 39 “are serious, appalling, and unacceptable” and “confirm what citizens, families, youth, advocates, and community organizations in Montreal North have been denouncing for years”—namely, “the existence of discriminatory behavior,” added Fortuné.
–With files from La Presse Canadienne
