Montreal police fire seven officers over racism and discrimination allegations
Seven employees of the Montreal Police Service have been dismissed following allegations of racist and discriminatory conduct, according to a report by CBC News.
Montreal Police Chief Fady Dagher announced the administrative dismissals at a press conference on Monday, confirming that two officers from Station 21 and five from Station 39 had been fired.
The decisions followed an internal disciplinary investigation, while separate criminal investigations remain ongoing. Dagher stressed that decisions on possible criminal charges rest with Crown prosecutors.
"We will not accept acts that tarnish the uniform," he said, adding that investigations require time and must respect the rule of law.
Two police stations at the centre of scandals
Station 39, located in the Montreal-Nord district, has been under scrutiny since June, when Dagher revealed that 16 officers were being investigated over alleged hateful conduct targeting Black and Arab people during police stops.
Station 21, which covers parts of downtown Montreal, came under investigation last month after Quebec's domestic security minister ordered two separate inquiries into allegations involving officers.
One officer was accused of urinating on homeless people while in uniform, while another was suspended over alleged acts of humiliation targeting racialized individuals.
Police chief acknowledges loss of public trust
Dagher admitted that the allegations have significantly damaged confidence in the police service, describing public trust as "largely weakened".
However, he said he believes trust can be restored through institutional reforms and stronger accountability measures.
Addressing criticism over the time taken to dismiss the officers, Dagher said he wanted investigators to examine whether other employees had been involved in the alleged misconduct.
He acknowledged that victims had been "waiting too long".
The police service has since revised its recruitment, training, promotion and internal investigation procedures. It has also introduced mechanisms allowing officers to report misconduct by colleagues.
Dagher vowed to take a firm approach against officers who deliberately damage the reputation of the force, referring to an estimated 1% of personnel.
Separate investigation into alleged evidence deletion
In a separate case, Quebec's Crown prosecution office is reportedly investigating an officer accused of deleting evidence from a domestic violence victim's phone in 2025, according to sources cited by Radio-Canada.
Dagher said further announcements concerning the investigations are expected in the coming weeks, with additional information scheduled to be released in November.
Source:AA
