Montreal closer to naming permanent police chief
The City of Montreal moved one step closer to finding a new police chief on Tuesday when the results of the public consultation were released.
The city, however, is still months away from hiring someone and the opposition says there is no time to waste at a time of rising concerns about violence in the city and no permanent police chief in Montreal.
"One of the top priorities is basically armed violence," said Centre for Research-Action on Race Relations (CRARR) director Fo Niemi. "We've seen it practically every week. Everyone is concerned about that."
This weekend, a body was found in a recycling bin which was deemed a homicide and a person was stabbed and killed in one of two stabbings within six hours, for example.
The public wants the next chief to come up with a concrete plan.
After three months of public consultations, the city released its findings on what Montrealers want from the person leading the force.
"I'm really excited, today is a big step in getting our new chief, Montrealers have spoken," said Montreal executive committee member Alain Vaillancourt.
More than 700 people and community groups were surveyed and they said they want the next chief to crack down on gun violence, combat racial profiling, and attract more diverse officers.
They also want better communication, transparency and accountability.
"It was important for us to reach out to all communities, regardless of language or race, and we did so," said Vaillancourt. "For the anglophone community, we did it twice because the first time wasn't representative enough."
At the beginning of the consultation process, the committee faced criticism for not having enough English-speaking community groups.
"We spoke up, and we had to push from the inside and the outside so that it could be more inclusive, not only linguistically but also culturally and socially," said Niemi.
Some want the process of choosing a new police chief to move more quickly.
Former police chief Sylvain Caron retired six months ago and Sophie Roy was appointed interim chief.
The city expects to hire someone at the beginning of next year, but the opposition says that's not fast enough.
"We don't have this luxury to wait and to take time, we are waiting for what exactly," said Ensemble Mtl interim leader councillor Abdelhaq Sari. "We know we're living through a crisis right now."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Snowbirds in Vancouver for puck-drop flyby as Canucks face Oilers
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be performing a flyover across downtown Vancouver at the start of tonight's Stanley Cup playoff game between the Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.