A year after the death of Jean René Junior Olivier in Repentigny, shot dead by the police, the fear felt towards the authorities still hovers within the black communities of the city.
“It looks like it’s even worse today,” says Pierre Richard Thomas, president of Lakay, an organization that promotes multiculturalism and fights against racial profiling in Repentigny.
“There are parents who are afraid, who don’t want their children to go to the park,” he laments. Some now have cameras in their cars and in front of their homes, a phenomenon that is said to be on the rise since the death of Jean René Junior Olivier. “It’s not for thieves, it’s for the police. […] At least they will have proof,” he explains.
According to him, parents are worried to the point of taking their children “to do all the extracurricular activities in Montreal”, where they “feel a little more secure and respected”. Others enrolled their children in private schools to prevent them from facing discrimination.
In this climate of lack of trust, many citizens of Repentigny refuse to call the police when they have a problem. “Lately someone whose son has a mental health issue didn’t call the police, he called people in the community who came to their rescue. »
There are parents who are afraid, who don’t want their children to go to the park.
Remember that Jean René Junior Olivier died during a police intervention in Repentigny, after his mother called 911 to ask for help, because he was in psychological distress.
Solicited Sunday evening by The dutythe City of Repentigny did not comment on Mr. Thomas’ allegations.
The president of the racial profiling branch of the Saint-Michel Legal Clinic, Fernando Belton, “sincerely believes that the balance [entre la police et la population] is very very fragile, and that we are one case away from an overflow”.
Freed words
The recent media attention given to cases of racial profiling has, however, made it possible to “free speech”, according to Mr. Thomas. The recent judgment of the Human Rights Tribunal in the Ducas case, which condemns the City of Repentigny and two of its police officers for racial profiling, “gives some hope to people who are still suffering from this today to file a complaint “Judge Mr. Thomas.
The teacher François Ducas had been arrested by two policewomen while driving his BMW. When they asked him to identify himself, he refused, believing that he had no reason to do so. The two police officers therefore arrested and handcuffed him.
In recent days, the organization of Mr. Thomas has also been contacted by “several people to file a complaint. […] There is a stronger mobilization, people are more aware, ”he explains.
Me Belton, too, has seen an increase in complaints at his clinic. However, he remains critical of the progress represented by the Tribunal’s decision in the Ducas case. “You have a hundred people filing a complaint a year, and in the end, we end up with a [seule] decision per year on average. Can we really speak of a victory? he asks. “There is nothing major [dans cette décision]. This expresses for me the slowness of the system. […] The case of Mr. Ducas happened 5 years ago. »
A sit in memorial in memory of Jean René Junior Olivier will be held Monday at 7 p.m. in front of Repentigny City Hall. In particular, his parents will be present, as well as victims of racial profiling, who will give testimonies.
Necessary training
According to Me Belton, “awareness training” for “police, lawyers and judges” is necessary, since “still too many courts are afraid to look into the issue of racial profiling”.
“Very often, the judges will solve the problem of the file without passing on the question. It is very problematic, because it deprives lawyers and victims of judgments that recognize the root of the problem, ”he judges.
If the lawyer considers that the City of Repentigny has “a lot of openness to do things differently”, Mr. Thomas believes for his part that he rather wants to “drown the problem” of racial profiling.
“In 2022, we need to train to tell the police to respect the rights of black people. I think it’s easy to respect everyone’s rights, ”he raises ironically. According to him, it is not training, but the recognition of the problem that will change things.
“How do they want to solve a problem of racial profiling when they don’t recognize that this problem exists? he says, pointing out that in the City’s action plan published in 2021, we only speak of “allegations” of racial profiling without using the word “black” once.