SQ top brass denies any knowledge of wrongdoing in Val-d'Or before 2015 crisis

The person who commanded the Quebec provincial police in 2015 said he had no clue there were any problems of police misconduct at the Val-d'Or detachment, even in the months leading up to a wave of public allegations made by Indigenous women in the region.

On Friday, Martin Prud'homme testified at the provincialinquiry into government treatment of Indigenous citizens which wasput in place in response to what is being called the "Val-d'Or crisis."

Prud'homme, who is on leave from his job as the head of the SQ while he serves as interim director of the Montreal police service, said it was only in May 2015 that he got wind of allegations of police mistreatment of Indigenous women in the town of 33,000.

At thattime, a team of journalists with Radio-Canada's Enqute program wasinterviewing alleged victims in Val-d'Or, 600 kilometres northwest of Montreal.

InEnqute's report,broadcast in October 2015, women alleged they were taken on "starlight tours" driven out of townby police and left to walk back and subjected to other types of harassmentand discrimination by police officers.

"Until May 2015, I didn't have any information or details that led me to think there wasa major problem in Val-d'Or," Prud'homme testified.

Jean-Pierre Pelletier, an SQ inspector posted in Val-d'Or, said he, too, only found out about the allegations when he received an e-mail from the head of the local Native Friendship Centre, dith Cloutier.

Pelletier had had numerous meetings with Cloutier and local band councils in the months before he received that email.

"I hadno indication there was a crisis," Pelletier told the commission.

Police informed in 2013: Jean Vicaire

Friday's testimony contradicts thatof Jean Vicaire, apolice officer who worked with the SQ in Val-d'Or in 2013.

Vicaire testified in August that he had informed his superior of allegations of misconduct that had beenreported to him by a local politician.

Now chief of the Lac-Simon First Nation police service, Vicaire said he told his supervisor at the time and was shockedwhen that manager said he was already aware of the allegations, naminga specific officer.

Vicaire also testified that his fellow SQ officers had told him of intoxicated Indigenous people being taken on "starlight tours."

Commission lawyer PaulCrpeau asked Prud'homme ifthis was a "phenomenon that is well-known withinthe SQ?"

Prud'hommeresponded thathe had never heard of such apractice before.

"The first time I heard of it was during the investigation phase," he responded.

Crpeauasked several times how the chain of command at the SQ works. He asked whyPrud'hommedid not know officers had been given the order to crack down onhomeless people in downtown Val-d'Or in 2014, which led to the incarceration of several Indigenous people during that time.

Disciplinary actions

Prud'homme said he found out in June 2015 that eight officers from Val-d'Orwere named in the initial allegations.

He said it's only after seeing the Radio-Canada report the followingOct. 22 that those eight officers were put on administrative leave, and the investigation was handed over to the Montreal police service.

Quebec's Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutionslater ruled the complaints would not stand up in courtand would not lead to any criminal charges.

Prud'hommesaid Friday that one month after the Crown's decision was made public, seven of the officerswere also cleared of any wrongdoing by the SQ's ethics commissioner.

He said the investigation ofthe allegation against one officeris still pending.

"It's been three years now. How come this isn't finished, while the others were all closed within one month?" Crpeau asked.

"I have no idea," Prud'homme responded.

New approach to policing

Prud'homme said since the crisis, the SQ has changed its approach to acommunity-based policing model in Val-d'Or.He saidhe hopes Indigenous officers will eventually make up 50 per cent of the squad.

Val-d'Or's new chief inspector,Ginette Sguin, said she has met leaders in 41of the 55Indigenous communities in the regionand regularly consults with band councils about best practices.

"My expectation from my police officers is for them to go toward people and ask them, 'How can we move forward?'"

Jacques Viens, the retired judge who is presiding over the commission, said he recognized the SQ's efforts to moveforwardand hopes these kinds of conversations are also happening in other regions of Quebec.

"It's a lot easier to break a bond of trust than it is to build it back up," he said.