Police and racism at the SPVM: Repentigny refuses to comment
Jean Numa Goudou ·
Two of the three police forces in the greater Montreal area, namely Laval and Longueuil, are open to collaborating in a public inquiry following the revelations of racism within PDQ-39, in Montreal-Nord. Repentigny declined to comment on the matter.
Two of the three police forces in the greater Montreal area, namely Laval and Longueuil, say they are open to collaborating with a public inquiry following the revelations of racism within PDQ-39, in Montréal-Nord. Repentigny has refused to comment on the matter.
At a press conference, a few days after the racism revelations at PDQ-39, the president of the Sommet afro (88 Black-led organizations), Édouard Staco, had called for a public inquiry into the SPVM but also into "all Quebec police forces condemned by a court for racial profiling."
"The City of Repentigny will not respond to any media requests on this matter," the office of Mayor Nicolas Dufour wrote to us in an email, while the Service de police de l'agglomération de Longueuil (SPAL) "will offer its full cooperation, should the need arise." Laval, for its part, prides itself on having taken a leading role in this area.
Laval, without a word
Without explicitly acknowledging cases of racism within its ranks, the Service de police de Laval (SPL) states that "these files are handled by investigators from the Bureau des normes professionnelles, who ensure the necessary follow-up to shed light on the reports." The SPL adds that it has a Justice and Equity program, which puts into practice its vision of proximity, inclusion, and trust toward the Laval population.
For its part, the SPAL says it has internal and external mechanisms allowing citizens, as well as staff members, "to report or denounce any situation deemed problematic, whether related to profiling, racism, discrimination, or any other inappropriate behavior."
In addition, the SPAL has a Division des normes professionnelles, specifically mandated to investigate such situations.
A gesture welcomed, but insufficient
The Sommet Jeunes Afro welcomes the SPVM's decision to dismantle the Montréal-Nord unit involved in these acts, a measure that reflects the seriousness of the facts revealed. However, these racist, degrading, and unacceptable acts cannot be considered isolated incidents.
The recent facts are part of a dynamic long documented by repeated court decisions, reports from the Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse, as well as research reports and official findings highlighting the persistence of discrimination and racial profiling within certain Quebec police forces.
According to a Léger poll conducted among more than 1,400 young Quebecers, including nearly 1,000 young Black Quebecers: • 83% of young Black people report having experienced discrimination based on their identity;
• 66% say they have been treated unfairly in their interactions with public services, compared to 29% among other young Quebecers.
The public inquiry called for should, according to the Sommet afro:
• shed full light on the extent of discrimination and racial profiling within the targeted police forces;
• identify the systemic causes;
• formulate concrete recommendations to durably strengthen public trust in policing institutions.
"The data is unequivocal. When a majority of young Black people report having experienced discrimination and unfair treatment in their relationships with public institutions, we have a collective responsibility to act, at the provincial level.
The racist and degrading acts recently revealed remind us of the urgency to understand, correct, and prevent situations that undermine trust in our institutions," states Édouard Staco, president of the Sommet Jeunes Afro, in a press release.
Numerous other community organizations such as the RIIOH and political parties such as the Parti libéral du Québec (PLQ) are calling for the launch of this public inquiry.
About the Sommet Jeunes Afro
The Sommet Jeunes Afro (Socio-Economic Summit for the Development of Youth from Black Communities) is an innovative network of more than 80 members whose mission is to contribute to the economic and social development of Quebec, with a specific focus on the contributions of youth from Black communities.