Montreal- MontrealMayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada is calling for an immediate moratorium on random police checks, just one week after the city’s police chief revealed that 16 officers are under investigation for alleged racist acts. Speaking to reporters on Friday, the mayor shared a deeply personal connection to the issue, disclosing that her husband, who is Black, has been randomly pulled over by police while driving on multiple occasions. She emphasized that like many other Black and racialized residents in the city, her family has experienced this form of systemic profiling far too many times, making a suspension of street checks a necessary first step toward healing.
The urgent call to suspend these checks comes on the heels of a rare, late-night news conference held by Montreal Police Chief Fady Dagher. Chief Dagher revealed that a specific patrol unit in Montreal-North has been completely disbanded following severe racism allegations. As part of the ongoing investigation, two officers have been suspended, while 14 others have been stripped of public-facing duties and reassigned. Mayor Martinez Ferrada believes that implementing a moratorium is essential to rebuild fractured trust between law enforcement and an outraged community.
Public outrage has intensified following media reports exposing the horrific nature of the allegations. According to these reports, the targeted officers allegedly ripped out or cut off the dreadlocks of Black individuals and collected them as “trophies.” In response to these deeply disturbing acts, community leaders and civil rights advocates are demanding an independent public inquiry. Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette stated that the alleged behavior is entirely unacceptable and has not ruled out a full inquiry, though the province will first assign an independent observer to oversee the internal police investigation before deciding on the next steps.
In addition to the moratorium, Mayor Martinez Ferrada is pushing for Montreal officers to be equipped with body-worn cameras. While the city has already allocated $40 million in its budget for the technology, it is still awaiting final approval from the provincial government. The mayor acknowledged that while body cameras are a vital tool in the enforcement toolbox, they alone will not solve the deeper systemic issues. Meanwhile, administrative fallout continues as the Montreal police service’s annual report, originally scheduled for Monday, has been postponed. Instead, city councillors have summoned Chief Dagher to a closed-door meeting to address the internal crisis, and a public meeting has been scheduled for July 8 to allow residents to directly question police leadership.
