Montrealers gathered at city hall Wednesday evening for a public consultation on the Montreal police’s 2026–2030 plan to address discrimination and racism within the force and in its interactions with the public.
The consultation, organized by the city’s commission on public safety, invited residents to review the SPVM’s plan and provide feedback.
The SPVM’s plan focuses on four main areas: addressing discriminatory and high-risk behaviors, improving police-public interactions, strengthening community engagement, and supporting career development within the force. Each area is supported by concrete actions and measurable indicators to ensure lasting change.
On Wednesday, Montreal mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada praised the public release of the plan. “I salute the fact that the SPVM is having a plan, presented it publicly, and only that is also a sign of trust, of them wanting to work with communities in our city,” she said.
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Fadi Dagher, chief of police of the city of Montreal, said the plan builds on work already underway. “It’s not the beginning,” he said. “We started three years and a half ago. We did many, many actions, many new programs that we put in place on purpose to make sure that there’s less discrimination, less racial profiling inside the police department and outside with the community.”
He said the plan focuses on training, cultural programs, and community outreach to build trust, while ensuring no tolerance for discrimination of any kind, including racism, sexism, and ageism.
The plan also introduces systems to track officer behavior over time. “Each manager of each police station is going to have the same indicators. And we’re going to be able to follow,” Dagher said. He explained that officers’ conduct will be monitored across assignments over their careers to track performance, address issues quickly, and build accountability.
Dagher emphasized that the plan was developed in consultation with both police officers and the community. “This plan, we consult 1,000 employees from the inside, and we consult the community from the outside. So it’s not being built on our own in my office, but it’s been built with the partners and with the police officer inside. They are the ones who are told us what they need,” he said.
An external oversight committee will monitor the plan’s progress and provide feedback, Dagher added. He said the SPVM plans to report publicly on progress in 2028, with a final report in 2030 detailing the outcomes of the four-year plan.
The SPVM’s plan emphasizes a broad commitment to fight all forms of discrimination. According to the plan, the police service aims to serve all communities equitably, ensure zero tolerance for discrimination within the force, and promote a culture of respect and dignity for all residents.
The plan also highlights four transversal levers for lasting change: governance and accountability, communication, training, and continuous improvement. These mechanisms ensure that actions are measurable, adjustments can be made quickly, and lessons learned guide future practices.
Built on research, internal and external consultations, and expert input, the plan is designed to reflect both the realities of the SPVM workforce and the experiences of Montrealers. It aims to strengthen trust with communities, prevent discrimination, and ensure that the police service is inclusive and representative of the city it serves.
