Montreal police chief tackles culture of rivalries in plan to overhaul force

Montreal police Chief Philippe Pichet believes centralizing senior managers at headquarters will help temper clan rivalries within his force.

That was the main suggestion outlined in his planto improve public confidence in the scandal-plagued SPVM.

"Since I [have been the]director, I told everybody I don't have any specific team. I'm working for the organization for the benefit of the citizens," he said.

Pichetpresented the four-page documentto the city's public security committee at city hallFridaymorning.

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The plan outlines 38 measures Pichet wants to implement. Most are structural changes and someare already being put into action, he said.

A preamble to the plan admits that problems of clan rivalry between groups of officers have been "immersed in the cultural fabric" of the force for years.

It says the current decentralized structure, where power is divided among five regions, has led to unhealthy competition where senior officers treat their regions like "individual kingdoms."Those senior officers will now be encouraged to work together.

A decade before the culture changes?

Some of themeasures outlined in Pichet's plan include:

• Changing organizational structure to encourage collaborative leadership.
• Reassigning all deputy chiefs to police headquarters downtown as part of a single management team.
• Examining thefeasibility of uniting the internal affairs, safety and integrity divisions and the employee assistance program into one division.
• Creatinga communication plan so citizens are kept up to date on changes within the force.
• Institutinga system where conduct of officers in "sensitive" posts can be reviewed every five years and all other officers every 10years.

Pichetacknowledgedsome officers are frustrated by and resistant to change, and said the force must be "resilient."

He said while research shows it could take anywhere from fiveto 10 years before the force's workplace culture changes, that doesn't mean there won't be progress before then.

"Let's focus on more five than 10. We'll do everything we have to do to make it faster than too long," he said.

Quebec Premier Philippe Couillardstressed that he believes legislationcould not change the culture within the force. He added that changes come through continuously working with employees.

"The ideal is to start with one or two actionsthat show the change they want, but it's certain that it will take a few years. Changing the culture of a big organization does not start the very next day," said Couillard.

Plan 'sodisappointing,' says whistleblower

Public Security MinisterMartinCoiteuxaskedPichetto draw up theplan following revelations that senior officers may have fabricated evidence and used the internal affairs department to settle scores.

"I saw different teams in the investigation part, faction A, faction B, maybe, maybeusing internal affairs to resolve different problems,"Pichetsaid.

Pietro Poletti, a former Montreal police officer who retired in 2014 after a 29-year career, says he was falsely accused by fellow officers. He alleges a fabricated report was filed claiming he was linked to organized crime.

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Polettiis one of the officers who chose to go public with his story.He describedthe chief's plan as "so disappointing."

"Basically they want to huddle and hold hands," said Polettiof the changes to the police department's structure.

He believes there's a lack of police leadership, and the plan will not change that.

"We haven't had leadership in this police department for the last 10 years."

The only way to solve the problemis to have the force placed in trusteeship and a third body created to oversee all administrative decisions, including promotions, said Poletti.

Force facing investigation, inquiry

Provincial police are investigating the SPVM's internal affairs department and have taken over all its investigations. Several senior SPVM officers have been suspended.

Coiteuxhas also announced there willbean inquiryinto theSPVM's"systemic"problems. The results of that inquiry are not expected for several months.

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The allegation that officers werefabricatingevidencewas the second major controversy to rock the force in recent months. In the fall, it was revealed Montreal policesought to monitor conversationsof certain journalists.

While the scandals have led to calls for Pichet to resign, Coiteux hasexpressed his support for the plan, and Coderrehas stood behind the police chief he appointed in 2015.