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Montreal Gazette
2 days ago
- Politics
- Montreal Gazette
Letter of the day: Random street checks by police have no place in a free society
The random police street check is a routine practice — in totalitarian states. Random street checks have no place in a free society committed to constitutionally protected human rights. Section 7 of the Canadian Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms guarantees everyone in Canada the right to be left alone, to be able to walk, jog and cycle in the streets of Montreal free from police interference unless they have reasonable and probable grounds to believe that you have engaged in or about to engage in criminal activity. Our courts routinely affirm these principles but the Montreal police seem to believe they know better and can engage in wilful blindness of court rulings. Police Chief Fady Dagher justifies his 'law and order' rhetoric by asserting that 'the overwhelming majority of the public wants police to have discretion to stop and question people in suspicious circumstances, even if officers don't have the legal grounds to detain them,' according to The Gazette. No evidence was cited to support his assertion that is in any event irrelevant. Even if there is some 'public' support for random checks, court-mandated human rights cannot be overridden by public opinion. Also not to be overlooked, as noted by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, is that 'police services collect and retain a wide range of information about the people they come in contact with including records of contact, allegations, withdrawn charges, acquittals and mental health apprehensions, just to name a few.' These records are stored in what is euphemistically called a 'non-conviction database.' They are not criminal convictions — and yet, 'this does not mean, however, that they will never be released by the police in a background check,' the association warns. In my work as a criminal defence lawyer, I have come across reports of people with no criminal convictions applying for security-sensitive jobs and not being hired — and later recalling having been stopped by police and given their identification. Quebec Superior Court has authorized a class-action lawsuit against police forces, including the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal, over random interceptions. Such legal actions remain the only recourse for citizens as long as governments fail to rein in their police forces. But let's not forget: While Mayor Valérie Plante's administration says it's ready to pay compensation to those targeted by the interventions, it's taxpayers who pick up the cost of legal fees to defend against these lawsuits — and of the eventual payouts when damages are awarded. In a city whose infrastructure is crumbling, among other serious problems, it is nothing short of scandalous to be spending taxpayer dollars to finance police stopping innocent people in the streets of Montreal. The solution is simple: Random street checks, which overwhelmingly target racialized persons, are discriminatory and they must stop. Right now. Ralph Mastromonaco, St-Laurent Submitting a letter to the editor Letters should be sent by email to letters@ We prioritize letters that respond to, or are inspired by, articles published by The Gazette. If you are responding to a specific article, let us know which one. Letters should be sent uniquely to us. The shorter they are — ideally, fewer than 200 words — the greater the chance of publication. Timing, clarity, factual accuracy and tone are all important, as is whether the writer has something new to add to the conversation. We reserve the right to edit and condense all letters. Care is taken to preserve the core of the writer's argument. Our policy is not to publish anonymous letters, those with pseudonyms or 'open letters' addressed to third parties. Letters are published with the author's full name and city or neighbourhood/borough of residence. Include a phone number and address to help verify identity; these will not be published. We will not indicate to you whether your letter will be published. If it has not been published within 10 days or so, it is not likely to be.
Globe and Mail
27-05-2025
- General
- Globe and Mail
New Montreal street check policy includes reason for stop, right to end stop, police chief says
Montreal's police chief has asked his officers to change how they behave when they stop people on the street, the latest effort by the police to frame street checks amid calls to have them banned altogether. 'We made a commitment to update the policy to better define the practice and improve communication with citizens,' police chief Fady Dagher told reporters during a news conference on Monday, adding the new policy on street checks takes effect immediately. The policy would require officers to inform citizens why they are being stopped and to make it clear they're free to leave at any time. 'We want to make sure that you don't have any perception that you're being detained,' Dagher said. Police officers will have to document the details of the stop, and that data will be analyzed by authorities, Dagher said. That part will go into effect in the fall once computer upgrades are complete. Without the data, Dagher said they would have a hard time knowing how officers are behaving in the field. The police force said it is hopeful the measures will also improve communication between officers and the person stopped. It said street checks remain an important tool for police. Montreal police chief rejects street check moratorium despite racial profiling data Some advocacy groups like the Black Coalition of Quebec and Ligue des droits et libertés, a local human rights organization, say the new policy comes after years of complaints and doesn't go far enough. The league described the latest policy change as a 'half-measure' that came about because of heavy pressure from groups, but adds 'there is a world of difference between a policy on paper and the reality on the street.' Lynda Khelil, a spokeswoman for the league, said police should go further and explicitly tell those who are stopped 'that they have no legal obligation to identify themselves and answer questions.' The league said more than 100 community organizations signed a letter in 2023 calling for a ban on street checks instead of trying to regulate them. Fo Niemi, director of the Center for Research-Action on Race Relations, said there's a delicate balance between valid grounds for a stop – reasonable suspicions – with the right to protect ordinary and innocent citizens from being stopped without legal justifications. 'The success of this policy will depend on what kind of clear, if not mandatory, training to all officers about how to better communicate with ordinary people, people of different backgrounds, different capacity of understanding, even language barriers,' Niemi said 'And communicate in such a way that (the interaction) will not result in something worse, and that's always a challenge.' The Black Coalition of Quebec said the new policy was a step in the right direction, but isn't the same as a law or a rule that has a 'normative and coercive value.' It called for a provincial law that would apply to all police forces outlawing systemic racism – an entrenched practice that François Legault's Coalition Avenir Québec has refused to acknowledge. Authorities had pledged to address public concerns about street checks after an independent 2019 report revealed Indigenous people, Black Montrealers and people of Arab descent were more likely to be randomly stopped by police. In 2020, Montreal police developed a new policy that banned street checks 'based on discriminatory criteria' and required officers to explain their reasons for stopping citizens, among other measures aimed at reducing racial disparities. The province followed with guidelines that mirrored Montreal police policy: that the practice of stopping citizens to collect and record their personal information shouldn't be random, unfounded or discriminatory. Black and Arab people overrepresented in Laval police stops, data show, reflecting broader Quebec pattern The provincial guidelines say that while stops are essential for public safety, they must be based on observable facts or information that gives police reasonable grounds to intervene. A report released in 2023, using data from 2021, showed little had changed: Indigenous Montrealers were six times more likely to be stopped than were white people in the city. The report called for a moratorium on street checks, which Dagher refused, saying any such action would be symbolic. The data also demonstrated that Black people were three-and-a-half times more likely to be stopped than white people and Arabs were two-and-a-half times more likely to be stopped. The new policy change will be presented to the city's public security commission on Wednesday night, when citizens will have a chance to raise questions.
CTV News
27-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
New street check policy includes reason for stop, right to end stop: Montreal police
Montreal's police chief has asked his officers to change how they behave when they randomly stop people on the street. Fady Dagher says the new policy on street checks takes effect immediately. The policy would require officers to inform citizens why they are being stopped and to make it clear they're free to leave at any time. The police force says it will also improve communication between the officer and the person stopped. Some advocacy groups like the Black Coalition of Montreal and Ligue des droits et libertés, a local human rights organization, say the new policy comes after years of complaints and doesn't go far enough. Authorities had pledged to address public concerns about street checks after an independent 2019 report revealed Indigenous people, Black Montrealers and people of Arab descent were more likely to be randomly stopped by police. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 27, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
New street check policy includes reason for stop, right to end stop: Montreal police
MONTREAL – Montreal's police chief has asked his officers to change how they behave when they randomly stop people on the street. Fady Dagher says the new policy on street checks takes effect immediately. The policy would require officers to inform citizens why they are being stopped and to make it clear they're free to leave at any time. The police force says it will also improve communication between the officer and the person stopped. Some advocacy groups like the Black Coalition of Montreal and Ligue des droits et libertés, a local human rights organization, say the new policy comes after years of complaints and doesn't go far enough. Authorities had pledged to address public concerns about street checks after an independent 2019 report revealed Indigenous people, Black Montrealers and people of Arab descent were more likely to be randomly stopped by police. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 27, 2025.
Global News
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Global News
After years of complaints, Montreal police updates street check policy for officers
Montreal police have a small amendment to their street check policy, created in 2020. 'We made a commitment to update the policy to better define the practice and improve communication with citizens,' police director Fady Dagher told reporters during a press briefing to announce the change. Unless a person is being detained, Montreal police will now have to tell the person they stop that they have to right to leave and that they are under no obligation to identify themselves. 'We want to make sure that you don't have any perception that you're being detained,' Dagher explained. The police make the distinction between a street check and an intervention. In the case of the latter, the person who's stopped is obliged to cooperate with police. The police director pointed out that though the updated directive will be effective in fall this year, he's asking officers to start implementing it now. Story continues below advertisement It does not apply to motorists. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The directives governing street checks came after years of complaints of racial profiling by Montreal police. They commissioned an independent study which concluded that Indigenous, Black and Arab Monteralers were disproportionally stopped. The researchers twice recommended that street checks without reasonable cause be stopped, something police have refused to so. Critics say the new amendment is not enough, saying that nothing less than a ban on street checks is acceptable and arguing that these kinds of stops are at the root of social and racial profiling. 'No police officer can try to get the identity of a person without reasonable suspicion,' insists Lydia Khelil, spokesperson for Ligue des droits et libertés. 'It's a norm across Canada.' According to Dagher, several community groups asked them to continue with street checks, for safety reasons. He acknowledges that the new amendment keeps the door open to abuse, but that this is one step in the long process to change the culture of the police service. The change to the policy will be presented publicly on Wednesday evening by the city's public security commission, when members of the public can ask questions.
