Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada called for calm and pledged that Montrealers would learn the truth about allegations of co-ordinated racist behaviour involving a police unit based in in Montréal-Nord.
“Any form of racial profiling, discrimination, or violence is unacceptable. Such actions have no place in Montreal, in any society, or in any of our institutions,” Martinez Ferrada told reporters at a press conference Saturday morning convened in response to the allegations.
Sixteen police officers from Station 39 are under investigation for racist and hateful acts allegedly committed against Black and Arab people during police stops, Montreal police confirmed late Friday.
The allegations, first reported by Radio-Canada and other media, prompted an unprecedented late-night news conference Friday in which Montreal Police Chief Fady Dagher said the investigation is ongoing and that the force would not tolerate such behaviour.
According to a Radio-Canada source, some officers allegedly collected pieces of locs that had been cut from individuals’ hair during police interventions. Radio-Canada also reported tickets were allegedly issued to citizens solely on the basis of their ethnic background.
Dagher said these alleged behaviours were reported by other officers at the station. The police chief confirmed two officers are suspended, three were reassigned, while the rest of the unit was “relocated” so they won’t have contact with citizens for now.
He said two cases were submitted to Quebec’s director of criminal and penal prosecutions, known by its French acronym DPCP, and criminal charges could follow.
On Saturday, addressing the residents of Montréal-Nord and those who have “felt watched, targeted, profiled,” and those who have filed complaints without feeling heard, Montreal’s mayor said: “I hear you.”
“The bond of trust between the public and those who are there to protect us has been weakened,” she added.
“I urge everyone to remain calm and act responsibly. Montrealers deserve to know the whole truth about what happened.”
Martinez Ferrada said that she would ask all the necessary questions to get to the bottom of this matter. She’s also said she will work with the Quebec government to accelerate the implementation of body-worn cameras.
Dagher said he was “extremely surprised” by the allegations, describing these “officers as tarnishing our uniform.”
“I didn’t think it was possible in 2026,” the police chief said. “This is how deeply deeply hurt I am.”
‘Never seen anything like this’
Fo Niemi has spent decades holding police forces to account as the executive director of the Center for Research-Action on Race Relations (CRARR).
From the allegations reported to the late-night press conference on a Friday, Niemi says he’s “never seen anything like this” and described the details that have surfaced as shocking, scandalous and “deeply concerning.”
He says his office has fielded many complaints from residents who live near Station 39 in the past. Those complaints were about a wide range of issues, including excessive use of force as well as unjustified tickets and arrests. He added that some residents have told his centre that their complaints about officers’ behaviours were not taken seriously.
“Very likely it’s deeply shaken,” Niemi said when asked how these allegations could affect the relationship between the neighbourhood’s residents and police.
“Broken to what extent? We don’t know. Certainly, certain parts of the population of Montreal North may have basically lost faith in the police, lost its sense of trust and sensitivity to be able to go to the police and seek help when necessary.”
Fabrice Vil, an author and columnist who has commented on issues related to police conduct, took note of the police chief’s reaction to what has been reported.
“I’m surprised that he’s surprised,” Vil said. “Him saying that he’s surprised is inconsistent with everything we know about racial profiling.”
During her Saturday news conference, Mayor Martinez Ferrada also acknowledged the existence of systemic racism.
“The only way to get through this is to openly acknowledge that it exists so we can implement measures to correct it,” said the mayor of Montreal.
When asked about the investigation, Martinez Ferrada said she trusts the process. According to Radio-Canada, the internal investigation into this matter began a little more than two months ago.
Montreal’s police chief is cracking down on alleged racist behaviour by some officers in the Montréal-Nord precinct.
Sixteen officers are under review and two are facing possible criminal charges.
Police union, politicians voice shock
In a post on X, Premier Christine Fréchette wrote that the allegations against the police officers are “extremely worrisome” and “incompatible with the values of respect and integrity that must guide the actions of police forces.”
“It’s important to quickly shed light on this situation and that appropriate measures be taken,” Fréchette added.
The Fraternité des policiers et policières de Montréal — the province’s largest municipal police union — issued a statement saying it had taken note of the allegations and reiterated that “any form of racism is unacceptable and contrary to its values and those of Montreal police officers.”
Brotherhood president Yves Francoeur wrote that “what is alleged is totally unacceptable and shocking.”
Québec Solidaire co-spokesperson Ruba Ghazal also expressed her dismay in a statement and said her party is calling for the criminal investigation to be expanded to “fully shed light on the scope and severity of the incidents.”
“This is the same station that was implicated in the death of Fredy Villanueva in 2008. How is it possible that this is still happening in 2026?” asked Ghazal.
“Are these practices limited to Station 39? I call on Christine Fréchette to ensure that this investigation uproots the racist and despicable practices that have been plaguing this police station for many years.”
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