Repentigny Black community says police action plan to combat racism beats around the bush

Nearly two months after her son was fatally shot by police, Marie-Mireille Bence is seeking answers about police's reasons for killing him.

"No one from the SPVR [Repentigny police service] told me what happened," she said. "How can we have trust without transparency and accountability?"

Police shot Jean-René Olivier outside his family's home in Repentigny, Que., a Montreal suburb, after Bence called 911 for help transporting him to hospital on Aug. 1.

In response to the incident and at least nine other human rights complaints filed against the SPVR since 2017, the force announced an action plan on Sept. 16 that is expected to roll out over the next five years.

But local groups advocating for Repentigny's Black residents are wholly disappointed with it. 

At a news conference Sunday, Bence and leaders of the city's Black community groups denounced the plan for not explicitly mentioning anti-Black racism and systemic racism.

SPVR police chief Hélène Dion says the plan aims to create "organizational change," and extends beyond addressing racial profiling practices in the force.