City officials confirmed Wednesday that Fady Dagher as been tapped to become the next chief of Montreal police department (SPVM).
“It is the recommendation of the selection committee,” said Catherine Cadotte, a spokesperson for the mayor’s office.
The public security committee will be holding a public meeting Thursday morning to discuss its selection process.
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante is expected to make an official announcement Thursday afternoon.
Dagher has been heading the Longueuil police department on Montreal’s south shore since February 2017, where he instigated programs focusing on community-based approaches to policing.
He is set to replace interim police chief Sophie Roy, who was the first woman to ever lead the SPVM.
Roy took over from Sylvain Caron in April, who announced his retirement in the spring following the events surrounding the wrongful arrest of Mamadi Camara during a police intervention.
While Dagher is most likely to become the next chief, his nomination still needs to be approved by the executive committee, the municipal council and the agglomeration council, which have until Dec. 22 to make a decision.
The Council of Ministers also needs to approve the city’s choice before Dagher can step into his new role. That is expected to happen in the new year.
— with files from Global News’ Gloria Henriquez