Candidate for Montreal Police Chief Recognizes Scourge of Racial Profiling

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The man likely to be Montreal’s next police chief is aware that there are problems with systemic racism and racial profiling.

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“I myself have engaged in racial profiling and have been a victim of racial profiling,” Fadi Duggar told reporters on Thursday.

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Duggar has worked his way up in Montreal’s police force for more than 25 years, working with minorities and vulnerable communities, but since 2017, his work as Longueuil police chief has earned him recognition as SPVM’s top job. It became like this.

He was formally nominated to the post Thursday morning by the city’s standing committee on public safety. His employment must be confirmed by a vote at city hall and a green light from the state government.

If he takes the job, Duggar will become the first Montreal police chief born outside of Canada. He was born in Lebanon and raised in Ivory Coast.

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He said his top priority as mayor is to reach out to the city’s many communities to adopt a “village” mentality and discuss ways to improve policing in Montreal. He promises to meet with community groups, police officers and unions during the first 100 days to develop a more detailed strategy.

Duggar, known for his reconciliation with minority groups, will bring that spirit to Montreal, but cautioned against “cutting and pasting” the program he started in Longueuil.

So he created Policers RÉSO to increase police engagement at the community level. In this program, his 24 officers on duty, unarmed and without uniforms, spend time in the community.

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Critics say Montreal has moved away from the local police model in recent years, with several stations closed.

But Mayor Valerie Plante said Thursday that community policing remains a priority for her administration.

“It has always been clear that we need to repress and fight crime, but we also need to strengthen the prevention side. I got it,” Plant said of Dagger at a press conference at City Hall.

Speaking at a public meeting of the city’s Standing Committee on Public Security earlier in the day, Duggar said the police would try to operate in a more preventive mode.

“My concern is that, unfortunately, we are responding to a crisis, but we can be there before a crisis hits. I have to.”

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Longueuil said he will announce details of the transition within the police force at a later date.

In response to Duggar’s nomination, Pho Niemi, executive director of the Center for Research and Action on Race Relations, said, “I couldn’t be more optimistic.”

Niemi said Duggar had proven his worth in Longueuil and had a personal good relationship with the police chief, as Duggar took the issue of anti-Asian hatred seriously during a spike in cases in 2020. He said he was building a relationship.

Interim opposition leader Aleph Salem also said he was happy with the nomination, adding that Duggar’s acknowledgment of systemic racism was a big change from the old guard.

“The fact that he admitted to profiling and was also a victim is a big departure (from the past),” Salem said. “We need people who aren’t afraid to speak the truth.”

He said only time will tell if Duggar can turn his plans into concrete actions that will improve everyday life in Montreal.

jmagder@postmedia.com

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