An exceptional police officer at the helm of the Montreal police department
As the man who’s implementing a sweeping culture change in the agglomeration of Longueuil’s police department, Fady Dagher has earned the respect of public safety administrators across Quebec. Athletic, charismatic and persuasive, with strong communication skills, this police chief for a community of 435,000 people possesses all the key attributes of a leader. He has demonstrated his commitment, desire to improve an essential public service and, first and foremost, ability to meet the needs of citizens.
At the age of 17, after numerous visits to France, Fady made the decision to immigrate to Canada. His new country struck him as progressive and inclusive. He soon noticed the existence of large francophone communities. Arriving in Montreal in 1985, he settled in the multiethnic neighbourhood of Ville Saint-Laurent. Fady, who was born in Abidjan in June 1968, grew up in a family of entrepreneurs. His childhood was divided between Ivory Coast and Lebanon, the country of his ancestors.
After experiencing the rigorous teaching methods of Maronite and Jesuit priests in Ivory Coast, he completed his high school studies at Collège St-Stanislas in Montreal, then pursued college studies in administration at Montreal’s Collège de Bois-de-Boulogne. While enrolled in an accounting program at UQAM and also working a student job in a store on Ste-Catherine Street, he met a police officer who told him about the career possibilities in Montreal’s police department. This marked the start of a great adventure. In 1991, Fady, who was elected as student president in his graduating year, completed his training at the École Nationale de Police du Québec (National Police School of Quebec).
He inherited his sense of leadership from his father, who started up a bicycle manufacturing company in Ivory Coast. A devout Christian, his father was a unifying figure from whom others sought advice. He succeeded in maintaining peaceful relations between Muslim, Jewish and Christian groups involved in disputes. The values that he instilled in his son—confidence, patience, courage, resilience and forgiveness—have shaped Fady’s personal and professional lives. His ability to navigate Montreal’s multicultural environment certainly reflects his father’s gift for dialogue.
As a man of Christian faith, Fady recognizes the extraordinary strength of Nelson Mandela, who forgave his jailors after 28 years of incarceration. He draws inspiration from Mandela’s words “forgiveness liberates the soul” when he finds himself dealing with professional conflicts. He also recalls the teachings of his father, who insisted on the importance of one’s actions and deeds during conflicts, which Fady terms “walking the talk.” He proudly cites a quote by Félix Houphouët-Boigny, the first president of Ivory Coast (1960-1993): “Peace is not an empty word, it’s a way of behaving.”
In February 1992, Fady joined Montreal’s police department, the Service de Police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM). After gaining experience as a patrol officer in the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce neighbourhood, he was an undercover agent for four years, then a detective at various police stations in communities with diverse ethnic populations.
“It’s easy for black youth in disadvantaged areas or young people from the Latino or Arab communities to fall under the sway of gangs. In the absence of an immediate family and social reference points, some young people will find a sense of belonging in these criminal environments,” explains Fady. “Getting young people out of these organizations and into a better life is a challenge for community support groups in various neighbourhoods with mostly disadvantaged populations.”
Fady witnessed this first-hand when he was appointed commander of Montreal’s St-Michel police station in 2005. Within a few days, he felt that he had become a social decision-maker in one of Montreal’s most challenging neighbourhoods. His experience there, which lasted five years, was rewarding and stimulating despite the difficulties. He has fond memories of going for a walk in the park on his lunch break to play soccer with local kids, many of whom remained resilient despite evidently coming from precarious financial backgrounds. In 2010, he completed an executive MBA program and took on the role of chief inspector of community relations within the Montreal police department.
There’s almost no limit to Fady’s ambitions as a police administrator. He wants to change the mission of the police so that it will become a force for social transformation: its presence in and proximity to the community, partnerships with citizens and social groups, extensive training and capacity for social intervention can help reduce the heavy-handedness and consequences of crime-suppression activities. The in-depth changes promoted by Fady favour prevention and awareness in the field.
“Going forward, the proximity of law enforcement agents to residential areas and their ongoing interactions with local citizens should help to prevent or reduce the formation of conditions that lead to criminal behaviour, decrease the number of 911-type emergency interventions and limit the prosecution of citizens in trouble,” he explains.
“This massive project involving a paradigm shift and an overhaul of management processes requires financial resources along with the presence of social workers, psychologists and other experts. Naturally, it’s also necessary to better understand the factors that have a major impact on the development of criminal behaviours.
“Going beyond the traditional approach of law and order, we have to listen to and support those who have real needs—families, support organizations, racialized groups, people at risk due to mental illness or poverty, and victims of domestic abuse, to name a few.”
Fady argues with conviction that once the police become a real agent for improving community living in neighbourhoods, residents will consider members of local police forces to be true partners who are legitimate and trustworthy. He would like his vision of a collaborative police department, focused on prevention and permanent dialogue with local communities, to spread across Quebec and beyond. It’s a vision which is supported by officials at all levels of government.
With the support of the Quebec government, the first steps were taken in December 2021 when the RÉSO police officer project was launched. A voluntary program that immerses police officers in residential environments for a period of five weeks has been implemented. The competencies required of police in the field have been overhauled—candidates must now be good communicators, have an open mind and demonstrate strong interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence. They are also expected to show humility, generosity and altruism.
As reported in the media, in his role as a public administrator Fady has moved away from conventional thinking; he dares to take risks and acts boldly. In November 2022, Fady Dagher has been named the new police chief of the Montreal police (SPVM). His man-of-action personality is reflected in his private life as well. He enjoys high-intensity sports such as running, triathlon and long hikes. One of his dreams is to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. An upbeat, outgoing and sociable individual, Fady appreciates spending occasions with family or friends in keeping with Lebanese traditions.
As a father of three university-age children, he has the following advice for young people: “Listen to the little voice inside you. Stay true to your values and roots. Surround yourself with people who are different from you. Seek out new experiences.”