Montreal police announce seven administrative dismissals amid racism allegations

Noovo and CityNews reported on November 2 that Montreal police in Quebec, Canada, had dismissed seven officers from Stations 21 and 39 in connection with allegations of discriminatory and racist behaviour and derogatory acts. CBC News described the announced measure as administrative dismissals.

The development follows investigations involving a 16-member patrol unit at Station 39 in Montréal-Nord. CBC said the allegations concerned racist and hateful acts against Black and Arab people during police stops.

Police chief Fady Dagher called a Monday afternoon news conference to provide more details, according to CBC. The police service's October 30 statement said the principal Station 39 file had been submitted to Quebec prosecutors on September 28 while related investigations continued.

Update: November 2 news conference

At the Monday news conference in Montreal, Quebec, police chief Fady Dagher said "the culture of silence" had been broken, Global News reported on November 2. He described the dismissed officers' actions as malicious rather than accidental mistakes and said the force acted in the public interest and for public safety.