SPVM Dismissal: the Sommet afro calls for a public inquiry into racial profiling
Jean Numa Goudou ·
"A fundamental question remains: what guarantees that these officers will not be able to continue their careers within another police force?" asks Sommet president Édouard Staco.
In the wake of the dismissal of seven officers from the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) for racism, the Sommet Jeunes Afro is once again calling for a public inquiry commission under the Act respecting public inquiry commissions.
The inquiry should target not only the SPVM but also any police force convicted of racial profiling. Last June, the Sommet, which brings together more than 90 Black-led organizations, had called for the launch of such an inquiry following revelations of racism attributed to a unit of officers from police station 39, in Montréal-Nord.
Since then, SPVM leadership has dismissed at least five of those officers. "This decision is welcomed as a necessary gesture reflecting the gravity of the situation, but it does not allow us to establish its causes. The Quebec government must now launch a public inquiry commission under the Act respecting public inquiry commissions," the Sommet states in a press release.
The objective of this public inquiry is to "address the causes and mechanisms that allow racial profiling to persist and put an end to it throughout Quebec."
For member organizations, invoking the Act respecting public inquiry commissions is essential. Because, unlike a simple administrative review, a commission established under this act has stronger enforcement powers: it can summon witnesses, compel them to answer questions, and require the production of documents necessary to uncover the truth.
"Such powers are essential when the alleged facts touch on the fundamental rights and dignity of Quebecers, well beyond the Montreal region," argues the Sommet.
Recent events add to a series of troubling situations documented across Quebec. To date, eight Quebec municipalities are targeted by a class action lawsuit related to racial profiling, while six municipalities have already been the subject of judicial rulings linked to these practices.
For the Sommet Jeunes Afro, this data clearly demonstrates that issues of discrimination and racial profiling are not confined to a single police force or a single region, but raise concerns that affect all of Quebec.
"A fundamental question remains: what guarantees that these officers will not be able to continue their careers within another police force?" asks Sommet president Édouard Staco.
"Firing them is not enough if the problem can simply change uniforms. The problem does not stop at Montreal's borders: it concerns all of Quebec. To address it at its root, we need a public inquiry commission with real enforcement powers," he says.
Data from the Observatoire des communautés noires du Québec confirms the scale of the problem. According to a Léger survey 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% report having been treated unfairly in their interactions with public services, compared to 29% among other young Quebecers.
"The revelations at the SPVM cannot be treated as an isolated case. The judicial convictions and legal actions targeting multiple municipalities demand a Quebec-wide response," says Mr. Staco.
According to the coalition, the public inquiry would aim to:
• shed full light on the extent of discrimination and racial profiling within the targeted police forces;
• identify their systemic causes;
• formulate concrete recommendations to sustainably strengthen public trust in policing institutions.
"When we see that eight municipalities are targeted by a class action and six others have already been subject to judicial rulings on racial profiling, it becomes clear that the questions raised go beyond the scope of a single police service. Communities need a rigorous and independent examination of these practices in order to better understand their extent and restore trust in policing institutions." — Raymond Kashiba, Chief Executive Officer of the Conseil Canadien de Représentation des Communautés Congolaises (CCRCC), Gatineau.
The objective of such a commission is not only to shed light on recent events, but also to identify the systemic causes that allow racial profiling and discrimination to persist within policing institutions, to evaluate existing oversight mechanisms, and to propose lasting recommendations to strengthen public trust.
The Sommet Jeunes Afro reiterates its commitment to collaborating with public authorities, oversight bodies, and relevant institutions in order to promote fair, transparent policing practices that respect the fundamental rights of all people living in Quebec.
Other mobilizations
In addition to the Sommet, about a dozen other community organizations representing Asian and Black communities, women, and other communities from four sectors of Montreal are expressing their support for police chief Fady Dagher and his recent decision to dismiss seven officers for racist acts and other misconduct. They held a press conference on Wednesday.
They are encouraging him to take further steps to change the organizational culture and reduce discrimination within the SPVM and in policing services offered to the public, and to work closely with communities and other key stakeholders to make the SPVM more inclusive, more representative, and more effective in its mission to serve and protect all Montrealers.
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 90 members whose mission is to contribute to the economic and social development of Quebec, with a specific focus on the contribution of youth from Black communities.
About the Observatoire des communautés noires du Québec
The Observatoire was created in 2021 to become a vehicle for social and systemic transformation through knowledge mobilization. Its participatory research approach aims to better document the issues faced by Black communities, particularly youth, and to propose concrete solutions to the specific challenges they face.