Racial Profiling at the SPVM: Red Coalition Calls a Province-Wide Press Conference

As the Station 39 scandal rocks Montréal-Nord, the Red Coalition confirms two formal complaints, demands a moratorium on police street checks, and calls a province-wide press conference on June 22 to give voice to victims of police misconduct across Quebec.

As racial profiling at the SPVM dominates the Quebec news cycle, the Red Coalition is confirming major developments in two formal complaints targeting Station 39 (Poste de quartier 39) of the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal, in Montréal-Nord. In the same breath, the organization is announcing a province-wide community press conference on Monday, June 22, 2026.

The Station 39 crisis

A shockwave that reaches well beyond Montréal-Nord

The context is explosive. On June 12, at an evening news conference, SPVM Director Fady Dagher announced that an entire night-shift patrol team at Station 39 had been dismantled. According to reporting by Quebec’s major news outlets (Radio-Canada, La Presse, Le Devoir), sixteen officers are the subject of an internal investigation over alleged racist and discriminatory conduct toward Black and Arab individuals during police stops.

Of those, two officers have been suspended and their file referred to the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (DPCP), which is assessing whether to lay criminal charges. The remaining team members were removed from patrol and reassigned to duties with no public contact. Some of the allegations reported in the media are particularly grave, including the collection of locks of hair cut from people who had been stopped.

Notably, it was other Station 39 officers — outraged by their colleagues’ conduct — who reported the situation internally. SPVM management says it was informed as early as March 2026. Mr. Dagher said he was « deeply shaken », adding that he did not believe « it was possible, in 2026 ». The political reaction was swift: Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette called the reports « extremely concerning », and the government has since appointed an independent observer to oversee the rigour of the investigation, without ruling out the possibility of a public inquiry.

Two complaints

Two formal complaints — and a file officially opened (SIG 26-5129)

It is against this backdrop that the Red Coalition confirms it has filed two complaints. The first, a public interest complaint filed with the Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse (CDPDJ), targets systemic patterns of discriminatory conduct and racial harassment affecting both community members and SPVM employees, at Station 39 and beyond. The organization says its complaint and supporting documentation were brought this morning to the attention of the Commission’s President, Ms. Nadine Koussa. Critically, the Red Coalition is formally asking the CDPDJ to seek an emergency injunction imposing a moratorium on the SPVM’s use of street checks (interpellations policières) while the investigation runs its course.

The second complaint was filed with the Police Ethics Commissioner (Commissaire à la déontologie policière). The Red Coalition confirms that the Commissioner has formally opened a file, assigned number SIG 26-5129. The organization is asking the Commissioner to investigate not only acts of racism and discrimination directed at civilians, but also those that would target, within the SPVM’s own ranks, Black and racialized officers — particularly in connection with disclosures made through internal whistleblower channels. The complaint also raises the question of the police service’s institutional and vicarious liability.

The June 22 event

A province-wide platform for victims of police misconduct

Beyond Station 39, the press conference is intended as a province-wide platform. It will give voice to individuals and families from across Quebec who say they have been harmed at the hands of police services. Here are the event details.

The organization’s spokespeople frame the issue on two fronts. According to Alain Babineau, Director of Racial Profiling and Public Safety at the Red Coalition, the fight is not only about profiled community members, but also about racialized officers within their own service.

For Joel DeBellefeuille, the organization’s Founder, Chairman and Executive Director, the pattern extends far beyond Montréal-Nord.

Call for witnesses

Reward offered: witnesses and video footage wanted

Alongside this announcement, the Red Coalition is issuing a public call for witnesses. The organization is seeking to speak with anyone who witnessed the recent Montréal-Nord incident involving SPVM officers, and to obtain any related video footage.

The Red Coalition is offering a reward of up to $500 for information leading to the identification, recovery, or voluntary submission of relevant video footage relating to this incident. If you witnessed the incident, recorded any portion of it, have access to video footage, or know someone who may have recorded it, the organization invites you to get in touch.

All information will be treated confidentially, and any reward will be paid solely at the discretion of the Red Coalition following verification. To make contact: info@redcoalition.ca · 1-800-735-4086.

The organization

Who is the Red Coalition?

Founded in 2021 and active in Montréal and Ottawa, the Red Coalition is a federally registered lobbying organization dedicated to eliminating racial profiling and systemic racism within Canadian institutions, including law enforcement.