The Montreal police union is vowing to challenge the firing of seven officers who are accused of racist and discriminatory conduct. The Fraternité des policiers et policières de Montréal said in a memo to members that the firings are “unprecedented” and raise “fundamental legal questions.” Police Chief Fady Dagher announced the administrative dismissals on Monday, explaining at the press conference that the officers did not meet their accreditation to wear the uniform because of the seriousness of the allegations. This was a method that had never been used before, the head of the police brotherhood, Yves Francœur, said in the memo, which was sent on Tuesday. “We consider this method to be manifestly non-compliant and it could be detrimental to you in the future,” Francœur said. “The law governing the employment relationship cannot be rewritten unilaterally by the employer based on what it deems appropriate in given circumstances. Consequently, the Fraternité will defend the rule of law and will take the appropriate measures to do so.” The message to the SPVM members also acknowledged that if the allegations are true, they would constitute a serious breach of police values. Dagher announced that among the seven dismissed officers, five are from police station 39, in Montreal North, and two are from police station 21 downtown.
