SPVM interim police chief appoints four new deputy directors

Montreal’s interim police Chief Martin Prud’homme announced the appointment of four new deputy directors.

The city’s executive committee approved the nominations for the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM), early Wednesday afternoon. 

This announcement comes after the city’s open-door public security committee meeting, where Prud’homme said he would trim down the 11 assistant director positions.

READ MORE: Montreal’s police chief announces major changes to city’s police force

The most notable of the appointments is the nominations of two women at the top of SPVM management.

Familiar faces have been kept as deputies such as 28-year police veteran and the first woman to hold the position of deputy director for the SPVM, Simonetta Barth.

Barth, currently the assistant director in the operations branch, will now become assistant director in the corporate services branch.

READ MORE: Meet SPVM deputy director Simonetta Barth

The second female nominee is Line Carbonneau. A former Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Carbonneau worked for the RCMP for 37 years.

Now, she will be assistant director of the professional standards branch. 

The SPVM’s assistant director for the Gendarmerie, Dominic Harvey, has now been promoted to deputy director of the Gendarmerie branch.

Lastly, former Sûreté du Québec deputy director-general, Sylvain Caron, will now be assistant director of the criminal investigations branch for the SPVM.

Caron held a similar role during his time with the SQ, being responsible for criminal investigations and administration.

The nominees will fulfil their responsibilities in their new roles starting next week.

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Prud’homme, now four months on the job as Montreal’s interim police chief, plans to regain the public’s trust after a series of scandals rocked the force.

Allegations of favouritism and cliques plagued the internal affairs department of the SPVM.

Prud’homme’s mandate as head of the Montreal police force ends Dec. 31.