Police detention criticized as racial profiling
- By Joel Goldenberg The Suburban
The SPVM has declared an investigation closed regarding a filmed incident in a mall parking lot involving an SPVM officer temporarily detaining a Black man on suspicion of vehicle theft, cuffing him and then having to wait for a key to uncuff the man.
But the incident is being criticized as a possible example of racial profiling. The video shows the Black man angrily saying he was mistreated, and asking if he was detained because he is Black. The officers deny this is the case.
"Are you injured, you're not injured," an officer says in the video.
"It hurts me!" the detained man says. "Uncuff me this second! This shows a lack of respect! Uncuff me, I'm in pain!
The SPVM posted on Twitter Friday that it "became aware of a video posted on social media in connection with an intervention by Montreal police officers. Immediately, we made checks in order to know the detailed circumstances surrounding the event
The tweet adds that "yesterday afternoon, two expert motor vehicle theft investigators noticed a Honda CRV SUV parked in a mall parking lot. The unoccupied vehicle showed typical and obvious attempted theft marks on one of the locks (damage).
"The police therefore began investigating to determine if it was a stolen car. Before they could finish their checks, a citizen walked up to it to take possession of it. It was at this time that he was temporarily detained for investigation by the two police officers. The citizen was released unconditionally and without charge once the checks were completed. The investigation is over."
But anti-racial profiling activists are not buying that explanation.
Joel DeBellefeuille of the Red Coalition, the federal-registered lobby group that works to end systemic discrimination and racism across the country, posted a six-minute video of the incident, and tweeted, "time and time again, acts of racial profiling like this continue to occur in Quebec. This man was handcuffed for 'suspected car theft' and the SPVM officers told him they didn't have the key after finding out the car was his. Disgusting."
Alain Babineau, previously of the Center for Research Action on Race Relations and now director of the Red Coalition, posted "in light of the deplorable incident involving the unlawful arrest of a black man by the SPVM, which was seen by tens of thousands of people, I invite a reflection on the fundamental role of the police. "
Babineau linked to the Ottawa police service's article on Sir Robert Peel's Principles of Law Enforcement 1829. Peel is "said to be the father of modern democratic policing."
Those principles include:
• "The ability of the police to perform their duties is dependent upon public approval of police actions."
• "Police must secure the willing cooperation of the public in voluntary observance of the law to be able to secure and maintain the respect of the public."
• "The degree of cooperation of the public that can be secured diminishes proportionately to the necessity of the use of physical force."
• "Police seek and preserve public favour not by catering to the public opinion but by constantly demonstrating absolute impartial service to the law.
• "Police, at all times, should maintain a relationship with the public that gives reality to the historic tradition that the police are the public and the public are the police; the police being only members of the public who are paid to give full-time attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen in the interests of community welfare and existence.
Police should always direct their action strictly towards their functions and never appear to usurp the powers of the judiciary.
• "The test of police efficiency is the absence of crime and disorder, not the visible evidence of police action in dealing with it."
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Archive
2023
January
Family of Montreal man killed while unlawfully jailed wants systemic racism inquiryLa famille de l’homme demande une enquête sur le racisme systémiqueSystemic racism inquiry called for by family of man who died after being pepper-sprayed at Bordeaux prisonDétenu mort à la prison de Bordeaux: une coalition exige plus de transparence sur le milieu carcéralUN GROUPE ANTIRACISTE RÉCLAME UNE ENQUÊTE PUBLIQUE SUR LA MORT DU DÉTENU DE BORDEAUXRights group seeks public inquiry into death of man in Montreal jailLobby group seeks public inquiry in Montreal man's jail deathAnti-racism group calls for release of video in connection with Montreal jail deathCivil rights group calls for inquiry into death of illegally jailed 21-year-old black manUne coalition réclame la publication de la vidéo de l’interventionLobby group seeks public inquiry, release of video in Montreal man’s jail deathAnti-racism group claims Quebec told Longueuil police to ignore court order on racial profilingAllison Hanes: Montreal prison death demands urgent answersRed Coalition: Quebec ministry told Longueuil police force to defy court order on racial profilingQuebec told Longueuil police to disregard court order on racial profiling, says anti-racism groupCivil rights group accuses Quebec of covering up race-based police dataQue s’est-il passé à Bordeaux ?Public inquiry ordered into jail death of illegally detained Montreal manPublic inquest to be held into death of man in Montreal jailChief coroner orders public inquiry into death of 21-year-old illegally detained at Bordeaux jailCoroner orders public inquiry into Montreal man's jail deathIl y aura une enquête publique du coroner sur la mort de Nicous SpringRed Coalition calling for investigation into systemic racism in Quebec jailsChief Coroner orders public inquiry into death of Nicous SpringPolice union head tells Montreal's new chief: staffing shortages 1st, community policing 2ndPROFILAGE RACIAL: UNE PLAINTE OFFICIELLE DÉPOSÉE CONTRE LA VILLE DE LONGUEUILCoalition alleges contempt of court against LongueuilPROFILAGE RACIAL: «LA CAQ DOIT TENIR SES PROMESSES», ESTIME LA COALITION ROUGEGroups to kick off Black History Month with measures to fight racism
February
Anti-racism group accuses Montreal-area school of systemic racismCalls grow to change streets named after Christopher Columbus on island of MontrealQuebec sisters afraid to go school, say racism complaints ignoredGroup says private school near Montreal ignored racism complaintsCas de racisme et de cyberintimidation au Collège Bourget de RigaudUn citoyen souhaite «annuler» Christophe Colomb à Pointe-ClaireRACISME ET CYBERINTIMIDATION: LE COLLÈGE BOURGET MIS EN DEMEUREBlack anti-racism groups lob volleys at Canada and QuebecProminent Quebeckers voice support for Trudeau’s anti-Islamophobia representativeProminent Québecers plead for federal anti-Islamophobia rep to be given a chancePetition against Bill 21 tabled at National AssemblyMontreal police brotherhood says it's too easy to blame its members for racial profilingLongueuil, other Quebec police slow in implementing race-based data frameworkAucune accusation ne sera portée contre les policiers qui ont tué Junior OlivierCalls for police accountability as officers who fatally shot Jean René Olivier face no chargesLack of care on Loyola property "unacceptable":DeBellefeuilleGroups call to cancel puppet show featuring minstrel characterUn spectacle pour enfants sème la controverse dans l’ouest de MontréalUn exemple de « racisme systémique », dénoncent des associationsLocal Montreal play carries on despite upset over controversial puppetFamily of man killed by Repentigny police says lawsuit incomingLa mère de Jean-René Junior Olivier poursuit la Ville de RepentignyLa mère de Jean-René Junior Olivier, abattu par des policiers de Repentigny en août 2021, a déposé une poursuite contre la Ville de RepentignyFamily of Black man killed by Repentigny police files to sue city for $430K in damages
March
Red Coalition alleges SPVM withholding findings on racial profilingAnti-racism group says Montreal police withheld findings of racial profiling reportUN GROUPE ANTIRACISTE AFFIRME QUE LE SPVM A RETENU LES CONCLUSIONS D'UN RAPPORT SUR LE PROFILAGE RACIALThis boarded-up building lays bare Montreal's crumbling social housing systemCity of Longueuil facing contempt charges related to police racial profilingLE PROFILAGE RACIAL EXERCÉ PAR LA POLICE DANS LA MIRE DU MINISTRE BONNARDELQuebec Bill on police practices facing criticismEthics complaint filed against Montreal executive committee chairperson"Smokescreen; a dog and pony show"City of Longueuil, Que. gets postponement of contempt of court charges
2022
January
February
April
Quebec study exposes dramatic increase in police fundingNew initiative asks Montreal, Ottawa residents to film police interventionsMontrealers to have a say in hiring next police chief'We need to humanize the police': Que. police association aims to improve public image with new campaignVideo shows Montreal police officer pushing homeless man into concrete block; SPVM investigatingSPVM investigation follows video appearing to show abuse by two Montreal police officers
May
June
Babineau leaves City position to head Red CoalitionAlain Babineau joins The Red Coalition, dedicated to eliminating racial profiling, systemic racism in MontrealBill 21: A petition to amend Quebec’s secularism law needs 500 signatures by FridayYOUNG LOCAL BLACK ENTREPRENEUR REFUSED THE USE OF WASHROOM AT A MONTREAL ULTRAMAR GAS STATIONMarlene Jennings joins The Red CoalitionJennings joins Red Coalition
July
August
'Screaming for change': Repentigny, Que. residents demand action on racial profiling at sit-inThe Roxboro lemonade stand takedownLaSalle couple wants racist comments investigated as a hate incidentViral video of racist rage in Montreal raises concern about climate of hate in QuebecMan appears on video shouting racist slurs at Montreal family, hate incident report being filedLa mairesse de Montréal dénonce des propos racistes tenus dans une vidéo virale«Va-t-en chez vous»: une engueulade raciste filmée à LaSallePolice investigating LaSalle confrontation as possible hate incidentCouple fears for safety after man hurls racist insults in front of their 8-year-old daughter
October
November
Civil rights group questions Montreal police conduct after officers wrongly detain Black man, misplace key to handcuffsPolice detention criticized as racial profilingMontreal cops should apologize to Black man suspected of stealing own car: groupBlack man handcuffed after car Montreal police thought was stolen ended up being his
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