Montreal police to get public's input on next police chief

Montreal police (SPVM) will hold public consultations ahead of picking its new chief –- a novel approach for the force, which was encouraged to include community input during a recent forum on armed violence.

The process to find a new chief of police began on March 25 with Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante saying consultations will take into account the views of police employees, young people and community groups.

Montreal’s executive committee and the public security commission have already recommended the candidacy of Sophie Roy as interim chief.

Roy will become the first woman to hold the position in the history of the Montreal police. It is rare that an interim chief becomes the permanent top cop.

Retired inspector André Durocher said last week this fact may hamper Roy's ability to tackle major concerns in the city, such as gun violence.

"It's very hard for an interim chief to proceed to major revamping or anything because out of respect for the next chief, you don't want to stir things up too much," he said. "Right now in Montreal, there are a lot of concerns regarding racial profiling, there are concerns regarding the numerous shootings and violence, so there's a lot of challenges out there."

Durocher notes if anyone can work on these and other issues, it's Roy.

"She's got great inside knowledge of the SPVM," he said.

Current chief Sylvain Caron announced last month that he plans to leave office next Friday -- well before the end of his five-year mandate, which was to end in 2023.

Caron says he is stepping away for personal reasons and is retiring after more than 40 years on the force.

-- This report was first published by The Canadian Press in French with files from CTV News’ Daniel J. Rowe on April 19, 2022.