Racism is a ‘cancer eating away’ at the SPVM, says outgoing Montreal police commander

A veteran commander leaving Montreal’s police force is describing racism as a “cancer eating away at the organization.”

In a four-page letter, Patrice Vilcéus — who is of Haitian origin — said he spent his 30-year tenure at the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) combatting all forms of “unjust exclusion” and “excessively strict” assessments for some as well as preferential treatment for others.

His departure comes a few weeks after Quebec Superior Court Justice Dominique Poulin ruled that racial profiling is a “systemic” issue within the SPVM and that the city should be held accountable for it.

“The scientific research commissioned by the SPVM is a flagrant example of the cancer eating away at the organization, and the judgment of the Superior Court presided over by the Honourable Justice Dominique Poulin is the apotheosis,” Vilcéus wrote.

The outgoing commander was viewed as a highly-regarded officer who worked his way up to lead an anti-gang squad while fighting institutional racism, according to a biography from the Centre de mémoires montréalaises, which is posted on the City of Montreal’s website.

Citing French singer Charles Aznavour, Vilcéus said in his letter that against all odds, he learned how to “hide [his] pain under an everyday mask” while working for the police service. 

“I am making this decision because I am listening to my conscience and my dignity,” Vilcéus wrote.

Asked about Vilcéus’s departure on Wednesday, Quebec Public Security Minister François Bonnardel told reporters at the National Assembly that it was a “tough letter.”

“For sure, there [were] some occasions where mister [has] seen certain situations concerning racism in the SPVM,” Bonnardel noted.

“But I never thought, like I said, that there was systemic racism in the SPVM,” Bonnardel said, maintaining a stance the Legault government has defended since coming into power.

Overcoming managers who defend status quo

While thanking his supporters for giving him the “courage to act” and introducing “nuanced approaches” to the SPVM, Vilcéus noted that the strength of an organization rests on its “ability to welcome divergence of opinion.”

He added that a strong organization should protect each person “against the risks of ostracism” instead of silencing members.

“It is crucial to overcome the resistance of certain managers who defend the status quo,” he said in the letter.

“These managers who sit still and trivialize critical thinking are not numerous, but they occupy strategic positions, so their capacity to cause harm is great.”

Vilcéus immigrated to Montreal from Haiti when he was four years old. In his teens, he joined the Navy League of Canada and the Royal Canadian Sea Cadets.

The SPVM hired him in 1994 and assigned him various roles, including that of an undercover officer for three years and a detective-sergeant for investigations of organized crime and money laundering. He also oversaw undercover narcotics investigation teams. Vilcéus served for two years as the commander of the Eclipse — a squad tasked with fighting organized crime in Montreal.

In 2017, he was suspended after a USB containing sensitive documents on organized crime was stolen from his car while he was attending a Christmas party. At the time, Vilcéus was a top officer with the police’s Eclipse squad.

The SPVM said in a statement to CBC News sent on Wednesday that actions are underway to support the police force’s “commitment to openness and respect for differences.” The statement lists some of the SPVM’s attempts to counter discrimination, such as programs to diversify recruits and the creation of employee resource groups. 

“Is everything the SPVM does perfect? ​​No. There will always be room for improvement,” the police force said in the statement, adding that it would continue its efforts with the City of Montreal to offer “a respectful and egalitarian work environment to its staff” and grow closer to the population it serves.