Montreal Police Chief Sylvain Caron is expected to announce Tuesday that he is stepping down for personal reasons, Radio-Canada has learned.
Caron, 60, was appointed head of the Service de Police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) in December 2018 for a five-year term.
Caron is expected to announce his resignation alongside Mayor Valérie Plante, two sources have confirmed to Radio-Canada.
Caron’s contract with the city was due to expire at the end of 2023.
Caron is the former Deputy Director General of the Quebec Provincial Police. He was with the Sûreté du Québec for 36 years, working primarily in Sorel-Tracy, Que., about 90 kilometers northeast of Montreal, and in the Eastern Townships before retiring from that force in March 2018.
In recent months, Caron and Plante have been at odds over certain issues, such as his proposal to reorganize neighborhood stations.
However, Radio-Canada was told the boss is leaving for family reasons.
In a statement, Yves Francoeur, the president of the Montreal police union, the Fraternité des Policiers et Policières de Montréal, said: “The Fraternity recognizes Mr. Caron’s contribution to the SPVM, particularly its stability in difficult times, as well as the spirit of cooperation that he showed.”
Montreal opposition leader Aref Salem said in a statement Monday that the early retirement shows how “untouched” the Plante government is when it comes to meeting the public safety needs of residents.
Salem cited a number of concerns over the past year, including “the refusal to hire the promised 250 new police officers, the surprise elimination of neighborhood stations, the shifting positions on the body camera project, the definition of the SPVM and the fact that the police force is on the brink of collapse.” .”
He said the administration had “failed to maintain good communication and relationships with its police force and boss”.
A spokesman for the Plante administration confirmed to CBC that Tuesday morning’s press conference would provide more details.