Montreal police say they're 'taking measures' to establish paper trail on citizen complaints

A spokespersonfor the Montreal police service (SPVM) says the SPVM is "taking measures" to ensure that, in future, the rights of complainants arerespected.

When someone comes forward to complain about mistreatment by police, investigators are obliged under Quebec's Police Act to tellthat person, in writing, what their rights are and tosend a copy of that letter to Quebec's police ethics commissioner.

In 2016, theSPVMwas called on to investigate allegations of misconduct bySretduQubecofficers inVal-d'Orand elsewhere involving Indigenous women.

However, as CBCNews reported last week, only a singleletter of complaint was forwarded to the Commissioner Marc-Andr Dowd, whose role is to investigate cases of possible police misconduct.

Information shared verbally, says police commander

Montreal police Cmdr.Jonathan Martel, who is in charge of SPVM communications, told CBC News that each Indigenous person whose complaint was investigated was informed verbally about the option of taking that complaint tothe police ethics commissioner and given the commissioner's contact information.

However, Martelcould not explain why there was no written record proving that complainants had been given that information.

Martel said since CBC reported on that procedural breachlast week, an internal memo has been sent to more than 100 police managers to remind them of their duty to leave a paper trail whenever there is a complaint alleging police misconduct.

Quebec's Code of Ethics for police officers sets out more than two dozen rules officers must follow.

They address everything from a ban on swearingto rules onthe use of force tothe requirement that an officer must give his or hername and badge number when asked.