Police union head tells Montreal's new chief: staffing shortages 1st, community policing 2nd
Chief Fady Dagher says he will pitch SPVM to recruits at Quebec's police academy
CBC News · Posted: Jan 22, 2023 4:00 AM EST | Last Updated: January 22
The president of the Montreal police union says Fady Dagher, the new chief of the Service de Police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM), will have to address a shortage of officers before starting new community policing programs.
Yves Francoeur, the president of the Montreal Police Brotherhood, said Thursday at Dagher's induction ceremony that the SPVM was losing officers and struggling with staffing shortages.
Dagher is going to "realize very quickly that there is a lack of police officers in the SPVM," Francoeur said. "This reality that affects our workforce will unfortunately slow down the projects that he wants to put in place."
Dagher, who has been heralded by the mayor's office as the leader of a new police culture, has promised to bring ideas and methods he used when he was chief of the Longueuil police force to Montreal.
In Longueuil, Dagher implemented new programs where officers were embedded in communities. Francoeur said that before Dagher implements similar programs in Montreal, he will have to address other issues.
"At the moment," Francoeur said, "with what we are experiencing in terms of urban violence and shootings, the SPVM is not in a position to free up officers in the field for a community policing model in the near future."
The Quebec government has pledged $225 million to allow the SPVM to hire 450 additional officers over five years — part of a series of promises made in the summer of 2022, after a spate of shootings sparked concern about rising gun violence in Montreal.
But Francoeur said that, despite the government's promise, the SPVM has 45 fewer officers now than it did last year at this time.
"We must first work to make the SPVM more attractive to the next generation of police officers," he said.
In his first remarks as chief, Dagher acknowledged the staffing shortages. He said his first order of business would be to make sure the SPVM has "enough officers on the road" and he would start by speaking to recruits at the École nationale de police du Québec, in Nicolet.
"Yes, life is more expensive in Montreal. Yes, the work is more intense, more complex, more publicized than elsewhere. You are more exposed and challenged. All of this is true," he said in a pitch to young officers.
"But remember why you enrolled in policing. I guess you wanted to make a difference: to protect the population, to fight criminals. It's here in Montreal, where 72 per cent of the crime and mental health distress is, that you can make a difference — a very big difference."
Balancing prevention and repression
Dagher said that as chief he wants to meet with all of Montreal's communities and understand their needs, but then he will try and strike a balance between preventing crime and enforcing the law.
The community policing model he championed in Longueuil is something Dagher has said could be applied to Montreal, but he also said he wants the SPVM to crack down on gun violence through repression — arresting those responsible and stemming the sale of drugs and firearms in the city.
"We have to find the right balance," he said. "Sometimes we have to get closer and closer [to communities] and sometimes we have to be tough on target."
"It's not one or the other. … Both can work extremely well."
Alain Babineau, a spokesperson for the Red Coalition and a former RCMP officer, said Dagher's initiatives in Longueuil demonstrated his "vision in terms of community policing for the 21st century," but he predicted that Dagher would have a harder time bringing those programs to Montreal.
"The SPVM is a different beast," he said. "It's more than twice the number of police officers than are in Longueuil and there's a very strong police union, a police union which has always been very, very resistant to change."
CBC News · Posted: Jan 22, 2023 4:00 AM EST | Last Updated: January 22
The president of the Montreal police union says Fady Dagher, the new chief of the Service de Police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM), will have to address a shortage of officers before starting new community policing programs.
Yves Francoeur, the president of the Montreal Police Brotherhood, said Thursday at Dagher's induction ceremony that the SPVM was losing officers and struggling with staffing shortages.
Dagher is going to "realize very quickly that there is a lack of police officers in the SPVM," Francoeur said. "This reality that affects our workforce will unfortunately slow down the projects that he wants to put in place."
Dagher, who has been heralded by the mayor's office as the leader of a new police culture, has promised to bring ideas and methods he used when he was chief of the Longueuil police force to Montreal.
In Longueuil, Dagher implemented new programs where officers were embedded in communities. Francoeur said that before Dagher implements similar programs in Montreal, he will have to address other issues.
"At the moment," Francoeur said, "with what we are experiencing in terms of urban violence and shootings, the SPVM is not in a position to free up officers in the field for a community policing model in the near future."
The Quebec government has pledged $225 million to allow the SPVM to hire 450 additional officers over five years — part of a series of promises made in the summer of 2022, after a spate of shootings sparked concern about rising gun violence in Montreal.
But Francoeur said that, despite the government's promise, the SPVM has 45 fewer officers now than it did last year at this time.
"We must first work to make the SPVM more attractive to the next generation of police officers," he said.
In his first remarks as chief, Dagher acknowledged the staffing shortages. He said his first order of business would be to make sure the SPVM has "enough officers on the road" and he would start by speaking to recruits at the École nationale de police du Québec, in Nicolet.
"Yes, life is more expensive in Montreal. Yes, the work is more intense, more complex, more publicized than elsewhere. You are more exposed and challenged. All of this is true," he said in a pitch to young officers.
"But remember why you enrolled in policing. I guess you wanted to make a difference: to protect the population, to fight criminals. It's here in Montreal, where 72 per cent of the crime and mental health distress is, that you can make a difference — a very big difference."
Balancing prevention and repression
Dagher said that as chief he wants to meet with all of Montreal's communities and understand their needs, but then he will try and strike a balance between preventing crime and enforcing the law.
The community policing model he championed in Longueuil is something Dagher has said could be applied to Montreal, but he also said he wants the SPVM to crack down on gun violence through repression — arresting those responsible and stemming the sale of drugs and firearms in the city.
"We have to find the right balance," he said. "Sometimes we have to get closer and closer [to communities] and sometimes we have to be tough on target."
"It's not one or the other. … Both can work extremely well."
Alain Babineau, a spokesperson for the Red Coalition and a former RCMP officer, said Dagher's initiatives in Longueuil demonstrated his "vision in terms of community policing for the 21st century," but he predicted that Dagher would have a harder time bringing those programs to Montreal.
"The SPVM is a different beast," he said. "It's more than twice the number of police officers than are in Longueuil and there's a very strong police union, a police union which has always been very, very resistant to change."
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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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