Anti-racism group says Montreal police withheld findings of racial profiling report
Max Harrold CTV News, Editor/Videojournalist, Published March 6, 2023 11:22 a.m. EST
The Montreal police force (SPVM) is facing criticism from a local human rights group accusing the force of withholding the findings of a report on racial profiling by officers.
Three university professors served as independent experts and were tasked with writing a second report about racial profiling by SPVM officers. However, they finished their work months ago and expected their findings to be made public by now.
Anti-racism group The Red Coalition sent a letter to the SPVM, accusing it of sitting on the report since last summer.
"This delay from summertime until now, that in itself, is how systemic racism manifests itself. There's delays in the system. There's certain things that our elected officials, people in power, could have done to prevent certain actions related to racial profiling discrimination. They had the chance in the summer they chose not to," said Joel De Bellefeuille, founder of the Red Coalition.
The group alleges the Montreal police department is dismissing the report's findings about discrimination in its ranks and its procedures dealing with the public.
There is a range of measures that could be deployed to change police culture, said the Red Coalition, including collecting race-based data, training police cadets better, and installing body cameras on police uniforms.
The coalition said all these measures require a scientific basis if they are to go ahead.
According to the Red Coalition, this second report was more in-depth than the first and should include scientific data and analysis about racial bias and profiling by the SPVM.
The SPVM's media relations team responded to the Red Coalition's criticism Monday, saying the force has entrusted the independent researchers "to obtain an external viewpoint that will allow us to adjust the Policy on Police Interruptions based on scientific observations. The objective of this process is to continue improving our methods."
"A preliminary and partial version of the report was submitted to the SPVM at the end of 2022. Work is still in progress to complete the data analysis and research. Exchanges between our organization and the researchers are ongoing and productive," a statement read. "A final and complete version is expected in the coming months. The SPVM is committed to making the final report public."
Meantime, the Quebec government is currently appealing a court decision banning random roadside stops by police after a judge ruled those could be racially motivated and ordered them halted.
The Montreal police force (SPVM) is facing criticism from a local human rights group accusing the force of withholding the findings of a report on racial profiling by officers.
Three university professors served as independent experts and were tasked with writing a second report about racial profiling by SPVM officers. However, they finished their work months ago and expected their findings to be made public by now.
Anti-racism group The Red Coalition sent a letter to the SPVM, accusing it of sitting on the report since last summer.
"This delay from summertime until now, that in itself, is how systemic racism manifests itself. There's delays in the system. There's certain things that our elected officials, people in power, could have done to prevent certain actions related to racial profiling discrimination. They had the chance in the summer they chose not to," said Joel De Bellefeuille, founder of the Red Coalition.
The group alleges the Montreal police department is dismissing the report's findings about discrimination in its ranks and its procedures dealing with the public.
There is a range of measures that could be deployed to change police culture, said the Red Coalition, including collecting race-based data, training police cadets better, and installing body cameras on police uniforms.
The coalition said all these measures require a scientific basis if they are to go ahead.
According to the Red Coalition, this second report was more in-depth than the first and should include scientific data and analysis about racial bias and profiling by the SPVM.
The SPVM's media relations team responded to the Red Coalition's criticism Monday, saying the force has entrusted the independent researchers "to obtain an external viewpoint that will allow us to adjust the Policy on Police Interruptions based on scientific observations. The objective of this process is to continue improving our methods."
"A preliminary and partial version of the report was submitted to the SPVM at the end of 2022. Work is still in progress to complete the data analysis and research. Exchanges between our organization and the researchers are ongoing and productive," a statement read. "A final and complete version is expected in the coming months. The SPVM is committed to making the final report public."
Meantime, the Quebec government is currently appealing a court decision banning random roadside stops by police after a judge ruled those could be racially motivated and ordered them halted.
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Archive
2023
January
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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
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May
June
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July
August
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October
November
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