Having recognized the problems posed by racial and social profiling, the Montreal Police (SPVM) and the Montreal Public Transport Authority (STM) are using the pandemic as an excuse to delay the implementation of counter-measures.
During a virtual public meeting held on Tuesday, April 13, 2021 by the Commission de la sécurité publique (CSP), the Service de la diversité et de l’inclusion sociale (SDIS) presented a report on the actions taken by various city agencies and departments to fight against racial and social profiling. Although the report highlights some progress on the part of the municipal authorities, it indicates that the implementation of several actions has been delayed by the SPVM and STM because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Background
In 2017, the City of Montreal’s commission on racial and social profiling held a major public consultation to determine possible solutions to combat the rise in discriminatory profiling in Montreal. An independent research team was appointed to study the data collected between 2014 and 2017 during police “street checks” – a practice that allows law enforcement officials to stop and question people without reasonable cause. The research team, which included UQAM sociologist Victor Armony, Université de Montréal criminologist Massimiliano Mulone, and Université TÉLUQ sociologist Mariam Hassaoui, found evidence of a systemic bias in the treatment of certain racialized minorities. For instance, both Indigenous and Black folks were four to five times more likely to be targeted for a street check by Montreal police than their white counterparts. Undeniable proof of the systemic nature of the problem, the Armony-Hassaoui-Mulone report became the basis for the 31 recommendations adopted by the City of Montreal as a promise to take meaningful, tangible steps to advance racial justice in policing practices.
Bilan 2020
On Tuesday, April 13, 2021 the 2020 SDIS report was presented by SDIS’ interim director, Nadia Bastien, and her colleague Patrice Allard. During this virtual public meeting, Bastien and Allard outlined a comprehensive account of the actions taken to implement the 31 recommendations by various city agencies and departments. According to this review, 10 recommendations have been implemented and the realization of an additional 12 has been ongoing since December 2020. While these numbers seem promising, other metrics and trends are worrisome.
According to the report, the 2020 social and cultural diversity training planned by SPVM was cancelled. Likewise, workshops on equality and neutrality scheduled for STM personnel in 2020 were suspended. In both cases, the COVID-19 pandemic was cited as valid reasoning for the cancellations/postponements. Furthermore, the report indicates that the École nationale de police du Québec (ENPQ) was not able to train 17 candidates for the "AEC Diversité policière" program - a special recruitment initiative aimed at increasing the diversity of the SPVM personnel. As a result, Montreal police hired fewer officers who identified as being part of a visible minority in 2020 (17%) than it had in 2019 (24%).
Discussion
Abdelhaq Sari – city councilor of the Montreal-Nord district and the Vice-President of the Commission de la sécurité publique (CSP) – voiced severe criticism of the SPVM and STM during the virtual meeting: “It makes no sense at all to use the pandemic to justify the reduction in the percentage of visible minority personnel being offered a position. I simply can’t see any direct relationship with the COVID-19 situation” (note: translation from French to English).
Amongst other notable comments were those from Alex Norris – the president of the CSP – who was asked to elaborate on the actions taken to implement Recommendation #19 of the 2020 Public Consultation on Systemic Racism and Discrimination (“Public Consultation”).[1] Norris confirmed his commitment to implement Recommendation #19, but noted that a legislative change in the City of Montreal would be necessary in order to re-structure the CSP. Norris did not provide any specifics regarding when this legislative change might occur. He pointed out, however, that the city recently named Bochra Manaï as the Commissioner for the Fight Against Racism – an official representative responsible for implementing all of the Public Consultation’s recommendations, including #19.
The Public Consultation presents several important recommendations directly related to the issue of racial profiling in Montreal. Among these recommendations are the regulation of the use of “predictive policing” technologies, the monitoring of the SPVM recruitment methods, as well as a complex set of measures for greater transparency and accountability in law enforcement organizations. Montreal in Action will advocate for the implementation of these recommendations to ensure that all Montrealers, regardless of their origin or status, are treated fairly by the city police.
by Alexandre Zaezjev
[1] The main goal of Recommendation #19 is to increase the accountability of the SPVM by augmenting the number of members of the CSP from seven to nine, including two independent members to serve as representatives of the public.