The selection committee responsible for choosing the director of the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) has selected the candidacy of Fady Dagher. The man who has headed the Longueuil Agglomeration Police Service (SPAL) since 2017 will therefore return to the SPVM, where he worked for 23 years, including four years as deputy director.
His candidacy was rather unexpected: his contract at the head of SPAL was renewed last December for a period of eight years.
Mr. Dagher will take part in a meeting of the Commission de la sécurité publique on Thursday morning, during which he will present his vision of the SPVM. If his nomination receives the approval of the Government of Quebec, he should take office next January.
Born in the Ivory Coast to parents of Lebanese origin, Fady Dagher arrived in Montreal in 1985. Recognized for his qualities as a communicator, he implemented a prevention-based approach at SPAL. In particular, last year he set up the RESO (Social and Organizational Mutual Aid Network) project, which aims to bring police officers closer to the reality experienced by certain more vulnerable clienteles, such as people struggling with addiction or those experiencing homelessness. This avant-garde project received $3.6 million in financial assistance from Quebec. Last fall, about twenty police officers had participated in an unarmed and ununiformed immersion course in the community.
For Stéphane Wall, a retired SPVM supervisor, Mr. Dagher’s candidacy is surprising, especially since he had just renewed a lucrative contract worth around $300,000 a year in Longueuil. “It was a well-kept secret: nobody expected that. But at the same time, it’s not surprising because it fits perfectly with Mayor Plante’s vision. For her, it’s really a good move, ”he says.
Mr. Wall recalls that Fady Dagher had been a candidate for the succession of Marc Parent in 2015. At the time, Mayor Denis Coderre had preferred Philippe Pichet to him. “It’s a return to his old loves. He failed to become a chef in 2015, but this time he succeeded,” he said.
There will be many challenges for the next director of the SPVM. The police force must in particular deal with a lack of manpower. At present, at least 200 police positions are to be filled to meet the needs, underlines Stéphane Wall.
And if Fady Dagher wants to implement a “RESO-like” project in the metropolis, the SPVM will have to recruit many more agents, he says.
The next Montreal police chief will also have to tackle the problems of armed violence and profiling. “He will have to restore the feeling of confidence in the police. There are many patrollers in the field who do not feel supported by management and by elected Montreal officials. He must be able to relay with the City to pass on his messages. »
The office of the mayoress of Longueuil, Catherine Fournier, said it learned of Mr. Dagher’s appointment at the end of the day on Wednesday. “Within the SPAL, with the work of his team and the assistance of the entire police force, Mr. Dagher has contributed to establishing a vision of consultation unique in Quebec which is, in our opinion, THE vision for the future, of which the agglomeration of Longueuil has become the standard-bearer,” said Mayor Fournier’s office in a press release.