Two members of an Anjou street gang were abducted and tortured by other gang members in Toronto. They were beaten while having the word “Anjou” carved on their backs using a knife. The horrifying video was shared on social media. While some may argue that Montreal’s violent crime is not as bad as it used to be, the recent escalation is concerning. Fady Dagher has been the police chief of Montreal since December 2022. He was appointed because of his inclusive and open approach to policing. However, it remains to be seen if his approach will work in combating crime and protecting the population. The police must remember their primary responsibility in attacking crime and safeguarding the people. It is time to implement measures that will address the issue and not just depend on rhetoric. The media-political system maybe at play in policing, but it is crucial to prioritize the welfare of the community.
Two members of a street gang from Anjou were kidnapped, taken to Toronto and tortured by other thugs.
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With the blade of a knife, the word “Anjou” was engraved on their backs while they were beaten.
I spare you the other appalling abuses. The video circulated on social media.
Reality
Violent crime in Montreal is more and more present, visible, without embarrassment.
I will be told that the media treatment feeds this perception of a city on fire and bloodshed.
People will tell me, with supporting figures, that Montreal, like most North American cities, is less violent than it used to be, that it was worse in the days of Blass, Mesrine, Dubois, Boucher, etc.
But a long-term decline can be accompanied by a short-term rise. A phenomenon can be less worse than 50 years ago, but worse than 10 years ago.
Fady Dagher has been Montreal’s police chief since December 2022.
Photo Agence QMI, Toma Iczkovits
Fady Dagher.
It’s not enough to show results, but it’s enough to hope to feel a change of approach, attitude, tone, a new energy.
I don’t doubt his skills.
But Mr. Dagher was also appointed by the Plante administration because his speech appealed to elected officials.
Mr. Dagher is the man of the inclusive, diversified, open police force, more likely to defuse than to repress, who embraces up to a certain point the clothes of the social worker.
Presented like this, it’s hard to be against. Don’t make me say otherwise.
Mr. Dagher is also, let’s face it, a man who has fully understood how the media-political system works and who superbly manages his patiently constructed image.
He says what is in tune with the times and what a political party like Ms. Plante’s wants to hear.
Ah, the spirit of the times… In Le Devoir on Monday, nearly 400 “concerned citizens” – their names will not surprise anyone – signed a letter to condemn in particular that Mathieu Bock-Côté, among others, had pinned an essayist activist who wrote: “a patrol car that burns is a promise”.
- Listen to Joseph Facal’s chronicle via QUB radio :
“Out of context”, it seems. Poetry maybe.
I understand Mr. Dagher for using the buzzwords of the moment.
Nowadays, a policeman who would hold a speech of big arm and baton would pass for a dinosaur and be put on a siding.
The fact remains that fine speeches end up crashing into reality. Just read the newspapers.
Protect
When he was appointed, no doubt sensing the undercurrent of popular disquiet, Mr Dagher said the police would not hesitate to use force if necessary.
Hasn’t the time come to face the music, to put aside the pretty prefabricated phrases, to announce measures, to remember that the police are there to attack crime and protect the population?
Of course, he might realize that he got trapped in his rhetoric.
The same people who praised his “different” approach would criticize him for going back to the methods of yesteryear.
But that, it was necessary to think of it before.
It’s clear that Montreal has a serious issue with violent crime. The recent incident involving two members of a street gang from Anjou being kidnapped, taken to Toronto and tortured by other thugs is just one example of this growing problem. While some may argue that Montreal is still less violent than it used to be, a short-term rise in violent crime cannot be ignored. Fady Dagher, Montreal’s police chief since December 2022, has promised a different approach to policing, but his focus on inclusivity and diversity may not be enough to tackle the rising violence. It’s time for Mr. Dagher to face the reality of the situation and put aside pretty rhetoric. The police are there to attack crime and protect the population, and it’s time to announce measures to do just that. The people of Montreal deserve to feel safe in their city.