New Montreal police chief vows to address racial profiling, gun violence, lack of trust
CBC
Fady Dagher was sworn in as Montreal's new police chief Thursday, saying officers must understand the reality of their community and the issues people face, like mental illness and precarious living.
"In 2023, the population must also understand the difficulty and reality of policing," he said.
People have lost trust in the police after incidents like the killing of George Floyd by officers in the United States, and now police must rebuild links with the population while addressing racial profiling, he said.
"Racial profiling is not just a police problem," he said. "It's a problem for all of society and only one part of a bigger puzzle — discrimination in all forms."
He said it's up to everybody to work together hand-in-hand at improving society.
Born in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, to Lebanese parents, Dagher said he is extremely proud to be the first person of colour to take the position of Montreal police chief.
"If I can help young people to believe in themselves by occupying this position, then why not? It makes me very proud," he said.
Dagher took the oath during a ceremony at Marché Bonsecours, in the presence of Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante, who said she is confident in his experience, expertise and leadership.
It's his extensive background, she said, that will help as the police service, known as the SPVM, to overcome problems such as the rise in gun and youth violence.
"He will continue the work, with our police force, to implement our Montreal model of urban security," Plante wrote on Twitter after the ceremony. "He has my full confidence to carry out this task."
Dagher has a 25-year history with the SPVM, but he rose to local fame in recent years for his work as chief of police in Longueuil, Que., where he implemented a model of community policing that attracted the attention of the provincial government and police services across the country.
Before that, he had worked his way up to Montreal's assistant chief. Then in 2015, he was among the finalists for the position of chief, but Philippe Pichet was picked instead. Dagher went on to become chief of the Longueuil police in 2017.
Quebec's public security minister, Geneviève Guilbault, called Dagher's approach to community policing in Longueuil avant-garde in June 2021 and, as she announced a hefty provincial investment in the program, said she hoped other municipalities and police forces would adopt it.
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