The Chief of the Montreal Police Service (SPVM), Fadi Dagher, said he is "very concerned" about the tense situation in the city due to the war between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement.

He explained in a radio interview yesterday that the events that took place in Montreal in recent weeks related to the current conflict in the Middle East, which began on October 7, cost the service he manages 1.7 million dollars in overtime hours.

This figure includes the mobilization of police officers during events such as demonstrations, for example.

Montreal police have counted about 60 demonstrations related to the mentioned conflict over the past six weeks within the city limits, some of which gathered thousands of people. This is an example of the unexpected costs faced by the Montreal police service, according to its chief.

Dagher also pointed out that Montreal police have spent 42 million dollars on overtime hours since the beginning of this year.

Montreal police recorded 107 hate crimes and incidents against the Jewish community and 35 hate crimes and incidents against the Muslim community between October 7 and November 21 within the city limits.

Dagher also said he has been working with both communities for "more than 20 years," and what he now feels when meeting individuals from both is "extreme concern, a lot of tension, and a lot of fear."

The Lebanese-origin Dagher added that these tensions arising from the current conflict between Hamas and Israel have moved to university campuses and their classrooms.

He expressed regret over events such as the fight that escalated to a physical altercation at Concordia University (a new window) in Montreal on November 8.

He also noted that students from the Jewish community have asked him to increase police presence near university campuses.

He added that political polarization has become prevalent in universities since October 7, and young people are "living like this daily." "And this worries me," Dagher confirmed.

Dagher expressed his regret that this climate of fear is pushing individuals from both the Islamic and Jewish communities to hide the religious symbols they wear, such as some women deliberately wearing a winter head covering over the hijab so they cannot be recognized.

Despite students' demands, he does not intend to increase police presence on university campuses due to the autonomy of these institutions.

Dagher pointed out that the number of complaints recorded by the police does not necessarily represent the volume of crimes and incidents that occurred since October 7. According to him, some groups tend to file more complaints than others.

And even if some events are classified as "excesses," Dagher does not consider the situation "out of control."

He believes that the solution lies in a joint call for calm from the dignitaries of the Arab, Islamic, and Jewish communities.

Dagher also expressed hope that such a meeting will be held "before it’s too late," adding that he would like "both communities to sit together, either at a press conference or an informational session, and issue a call for peace and calm here in Montreal."

The Chief of the Montreal Police Service confirmed that ensuring peace in the city is a collective responsibility.