The Quebec government is not ruling out a public inquiry into allegations of racism in the Montreal police force, as the city’s mayor and two opposition parties say there needs to be an independent investigation.
Ian Lafrenière, minister of Domestic Security, said he intends to name an independent observer to follow the different stages of an internal investigation by the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM).
But Lafrenière did not rule out the possibility of ordering a public inquiry if the investigation by the Montreal police “does not allow us to shed all the light on these events,” he said in a post on social media.
“I heard the concerns of the population,” Lafrenière said. “They are legitimate and I understand. We want all the light to be shed on these odious events. We want a transparent process.”
On Friday night, Montreal police chief Fady Dagher announced that two officers from a Montreal North patrol unit have been suspended while 14 others have been reassigned or relocated pending the outcome of an internal investigation into allegations of racist conduct.
Investigators are examining claims that Black people and individuals of Arab origin were disproportionately targeted in the district’s diverse neighbourhoods. Some officers are alleged to have made racist remarks, according to witness testimony gathered during the probe.
Members of the team also allegedly collected pieces of locs (also called dreadlocks) — cut from apprehended men — and kept the hair as trophies, according to reports by La Presse and Radio-Canada.
Earlier in the day, the Quebec Liberal Party called on the province to mandate the Sûreté du Québec to investigate allegations of racist conduct by members of the Montreal police, citing “obvious reasons of transparency and independence.”
The request was made by Liberal public security critic Jennifer Maccarone along with Madwa-Nika Cadet, Bourassa-Sauvé MNA and party spokesperson for the fight against racism. In a communiqué, they argued that “allowing the (Montreal police department) to investigate its own members in a matter of this nature would not meet the standards of transparency and independence expected by the public.”
Québec solidaire went further Monday, calling for a public inquiry into the allegations.
“Given the seriousness of these actions, we cannot accept that the only response is an internal investigation by the SPVM. That’s why today we’re asking Premier Christine Fréchette to order a public and independent investigation into the SPVM. This investigation is the first step to rebuilding trust between the police, institutions and the public,” spokesperson Ruba Ghazal told reporters.
Fréchette said Monday that she is not ruling out a full public inquiry into the allegations.
“I exclude nothing at this stage,” Fréchette said. “What we need to know more about now is how this problem emerged and why it is still there before following up.”
Fréchette mentioned there are already two pilot projects underway of police officers wearing body cameras.
“We want to see the results of these pilot projects before making a wider commitment,” she said in an interview on Radio-Canada.
Speaking to reporters at city hall, Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada said her administration would ensure there is an “independent investigative process,” but it’s too early in the process for a public inquiry.
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