A police officer from the Montreal City Police Service (SPVM) was suspended for four days for having roundly insulted a young criminal whom he wanted to “help” by calling him a “little shit”.
“The words spoken towards a minor are particularly crude, harsh and blunt,” rules the Administrative Tribunal of Police Ethics in a decision recently rendered about agent Marco Danny Malheiro, police officer with the SPVM since 2019.
On March 23, 2023, he responded to a call concerning a weapon, namely repellent gas found in a young person’s bag by a youth worker in a YMCA.
The young person in question, known to the police, was then subject to an order prohibiting him from having any weapon in his possession.
Intervention method: lecturing
When he arrives on the scene, agent Malheiro informs the YMCA worker that he chooses a method of intervention which consists of “lecturing” the young person so that he “realizes the seriousness of his actions”, lit- we in the decision.
He then spoke to her about her “woman’s bag” and her “file’s” [criminel] shit”.
The police officer also admits to having asked him if “his brother was in jail”. “Do you want to go blow your penny inside with it?” he added.
-He also told him that the school and his counselor no longer wanted him and that “no one will want a little shit like that.”
The intervention ended without any arrests. “Agent Malheiro informs him that a summons will be sent by post for an accusation of non-compliance with a condition and that a report is being made to the Youth Protection Directorate (DPJ),” we learn .
“Committed and passionate” police officer
Officer Malheiro acknowledged his ethical responsibility and expressed regret in court.
“In this case, however, the officer did not act with bad intentions. It appears from the testimonial evidence that he is a committed, passionate and motivated police officer. He candidly explains how he hoped to help Mr. XX escape from a dark destiny,” underlined Judge Edith Crevier.
It still suspended the police officer for four days, for having breached two counts of offence, including having “sought to intimidate with his words”.
