MONTREAL — Montreal's police chief has asked his officers to change how they behave when they randomly stop people on the street.
Fady Dagher says the new policy on street checks takes effect immediately.
The policy would require officers to inform citizens why they are being stopped and to make it clear they're free to leave at any time.
The police force says it will also improve communication between the officer and the person stopped.
Some advocacy groups like the Black Coalition of Montreal and Ligue des droits et libertés, a local human rights organization, say the new policy comes after years of complaints and doesn't go far enough.
Authorities had pledged to address public concerns about street checks after an independent 2019 report revealed Indigenous people, Black Montrealers and people of Arab descent were more likely to be randomly stopped by police.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 27, 2025.
The Canadian Press
