Many Montrealers feel profiled during police traffic stops, study shows

Out of just over 500 Montreal residents who reported when they were stopped by police since 2021, 30 per cent believe they were profiled, according to a study.

Out of just over 500 people who reported when they were stopped by police since 2021 in Montreal, 30 per cent believe they were pulled over because of their appearance.

This is according to a study led by Montreal’s Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) released Tuesday.

“Essentially it’s the first time that we’re asking citizens to self-report their experiences of police stops,” explained lead researcher, Dr. Carolyn Côté-Lussier.

The institute launched an interactive website in 2021 where people can record their interaction with police, to track police stops in real time and to collect information anonymously.

That information includes the type of stop, the location, or the age, gender or ethnic background of the person who is pulled over. The researchers say they also want to collect information that police miss in their data collection, since Montreal police record just five to 10 per cent of the stops they make.

According to Côté-Lussier, the stops seem to be concentrated in certain areas.

“In terms of boroughs in the city where we see more stops, we see Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, downtown, the Plateau, the South West, Montreal North, Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension,” she told Global News.

She added that there were more racialized people and young adults among respondents, and that 41 per cent of respondents said the stop was justified, whereas 43 per cent believe it was not.