The head of the Longueuil agglomeration police department (SPAL) had his company vehicle stolen, inside which were some of his personal effects, on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, on the South Shore from Montreal.
The theft of the 2023 Toyota Highlander Hybrid – one of the most popular models for thieves – took place in the wee hours of the morning.
According to our information, the director of SPAL, Patrick Bélanger, had left some of his personal effects in his company vehicle, including his wallet and his police badge.
The insignia of the head of the SPAL as well as an access card with the photo of Mr. Bélanger were found on Wednesday morning by a Montrealer who was walking her dog in a park in the east of the metropolis.
It was Patrick Bélanger himself who went to retrieve his badge from the hands of the young woman.
A cyclist also found Mr. Bélanger’s wallet and was able to give it to him in person.
The police officer’s service weapon was not on board his company vehicle.
The Toyota Highlander was found a few hours later, on the territory of Longueuil.
The SPAL, however, refused to say whether one or more suspects had been pinned in this case.
A former senior officer at the Sûreté du Québec, Patrick Bélanger was appointed head of the SPAL last February, succeeding Fady Dagher.
Recall that two weeks ago, the Sûreté du Québec had one of its unmarked vehicles, a black 2022 Chevrolet Suburban, stolen from a residential street in the Saint-Henri district. To date, the vehicle, whose new value is around $100,000, has still not been found.
A few weeks earlier, the head of the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM), Fady Dagher, had his bicycle stolen in front of the police force headquarters on rue Saint-Urbain, downtown.
Finally, in January 2022, the service vehicle of the mayoress of Montreal, Valérie Plante, was also stolen, in the borough of Ahuntsic-Cartierville.
The black hybrid Toyota Highlander SUV was finally found two days later as it was about to be shipped to Africa.
