Fady Dagher, chief of the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM), has been elected president of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP). The vote makes him the first Quebec police leader in years to head the national body that represents police executives across the country. Dagher, 58, succeeds Commissioner Thomas Carrique of the Ontario Provincial Police, whose term as CACP president began in 2024.
The leadership change carries weight beyond ceremony. The CACP shapes national policy positions on gun crime, mental health response, and police recruitment standards, issues that provincial and municipal forces then have to implement on the ground. Dagher takes over at a moment when several of those files are under active review, and his own record in Montreal will likely inform how he approaches them.
Key takeaways
- Fady Dagher was elected president of the CACP, succeeding OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique, whose term began in 2024.
- Dagher remains SPVM chief while serving as CACP president; the two roles are not mutually exclusive under the association’s structure.
- Expect Dagher to push community-based and prevention-focused strategies onto the CACP’s national agenda, consistent with his SPVM record.
- Dagher is Quebec’s highest-paid police chief, a fact that has drawn public scrutiny and will likely resurface as his national profile grows.
- Watch for CACP policy statements on gun crime, mental health calls, and recruitment shortages over the coming term, areas the association has flagged as priorities under new leadership.
Who is Fady Dagher: 30 years in Quebec policing, career path to SPVM chief
Dagher joined the SPVM in 1992 after graduating from the École nationale de police du Québec, according to his official SPVM biography. That puts his career at more than three decades inside a single police service, spanning patrol work, investigative roles, and executive management before he reached the chief’s office.
Rise through the ranks: from patrol officer to Montreal’s top cop
Dagher held several positions within the SPVM before being appointed to lead the force, according to the SPVM’s own account of his career. The service describes his approach as one built around direct engagement with communities rather than a strictly enforcement-first model. That distinction matters for understanding why his election to the CACP presidency is being read, by some in policing circles, as a signal of where the national conversation may head next.
Community policing record and the reforms that defined his SPVM tenure
As SPVM chief, Dagher became associated with a community policing model that prioritizes relationship-building with residents, particularly in neighborhoods with historically strained relations with police. That record is part of what he brings to the CACP table. Whether it translates into national policy recommendations, or stays a Montreal-specific approach, is one of the open questions of his presidency.
Inside the CACP presidency: what the role covers and Dagher’s stated priorities
The CACP describes its mission as advancing “innovative and inclusive police leadership” and supporting member services on shared operational and policy challenges, according to the association’s statement on Dagher’s election. As president, Dagher will help set the association’s agenda on issues ranging from legislative advocacy to training standards.
“As President of the CACP, Chief Dagher will help guide the Association’s efforts to advance innovative and inclusive police leadership,” the CACP said in its announcement of his election.
That statement is deliberately broad, and it’s worth treating as a starting point rather than a policy platform. CACP presidents typically use their term to elevate specific files their home service has already worked on. For Dagher, that likely means community engagement models and possibly mental health co-response programs, both areas where the SPVM has invested under his leadership.
Succeeding Thomas Carrique: continuity and change at the CACP
Dagher succeeds Carrique, who led Ontario’s provincial force and used his CACP term to focus on issues including auto theft and organized crime, both prominent files during his tenure. The handoff from an Ontario-based commissioner to a Quebec municipal chief shifts the association’s regional center of gravity, at least symbolically, and puts a francophone, urban-policing perspective at the front of national discussions.
Term length, governing structure and how CACP presidents are chosen
The CACP operates as a member association representing police leaders from federal, provincial, and municipal services across Canada. Presidents are elected by the membership and typically serve one-year terms, with the presidency rotating among senior chiefs from different services and regions. The association’s board and committee structure continues to function independently of the presidency, meaning Dagher’s influence will run primarily through agenda-setting and public representation rather than unilateral policy authority.
Why Dagher’s election matters for Canadian policing in 2026
The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police 2026 agenda is likely to reflect priorities Dagher has already tested in Montreal, including his emphasis on prevention over pure enforcement. That approach has both supporters and critics within policing circles, some of whom argue it can slow response in acute crisis situations.
National policy fights ahead: gun crime, mental health calls, recruitment
Gun crime remains a persistent file for the CACP, particularly given rising firearm seizure numbers reported by major urban forces in recent years. Mental health calls now account for a growing share of police workload nationally, prompting many services, including the SPVM, to expand co-response teams pairing officers with mental health clinicians. Recruitment and retention shortages, a problem flagged by multiple Canadian police services since 2020, will also likely stay on the CACP’s radar under Dagher’s leadership.
Quebec’s influence on the national police agenda
Quebec has not held the CACP presidency often in recent history, and Dagher’s election gives the province a more direct voice in shaping national policing standards. Given Montreal’s distinct policy environment, including its own approach to policing the opioid crisis and its bilingual operational context, some of that experience may inform CACP recommendations to federal lawmakers on policing legislation.
| Comparison point | Thomas Carrique (outgoing CACP president) | Fady Dagher (incoming CACP president) |
|---|---|---|
| Home service | Ontario Provincial Police | SPVM (Montreal) |
| Term start | 2024 | 2026 |
| Career background | Provincial policing, organized crime focus | Municipal policing, community engagement focus |
| Years in policing | Multi-decade OPP career | More than 30 years, all with SPVM |
| Signature policy area | Auto theft, organized crime | Community policing, prevention-based strategy |
Reaction to the appointment: SPVM, city officials and police associations respond
Congratulatory messages followed quickly from police associations and municipal partners after the vote. The SPVM’s own social channels welcomed the announcement, noting the service was “excited” to see Dagher lead the national association while continuing as Montreal’s chief, according to posts from SPVM-affiliated accounts. Other police services and associations across the country posted similar congratulations, a customary response to CACP leadership transitions but one that also signals broad institutional support for Dagher’s approach heading into the role.
Public dissent hasn’t surfaced in the immediate reaction, which is typical for CACP presidential transitions. Any substantive pushback, if it comes, will likely appear later as Dagher’s specific policy positions take shape through CACP statements and submissions to federal consultations.
Dagher’s compensation and public scrutiny as Quebec’s highest-paid police chief
Dagher holds the distinction of being the highest-paid police chief in Quebec, a fact that has drawn media attention independent of his CACP election. His salary places him above counterparts leading other major Quebec police services, a gap that has periodically prompted public debate over executive compensation in municipal policing budgets, particularly during years when the SPVM has also faced budget pressure and staffing shortfalls.
That scrutiny is likely to intensify now that Dagher holds a higher-profile national role. Local media and city councilors will probably revisit his compensation package as his CACP activities put his name in front of a wider national audience, especially if new policy positions require additional public funding or staffing commitments from member services.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Fady Dagher?
Fady Dagher is the chief of the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal, a position he has held after joining the force in 1992. He has more than 30 years of experience across patrol, investigative, and executive roles within the SPVM, and is known for a community policing approach that prioritizes engagement over strict enforcement.
What is the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police?
The CACP is a national association representing police leaders from federal, provincial, and municipal services across Canada. It advocates on policing legislation, sets shared standards, and coordinates positions on national issues such as gun crime, mental health response, and recruitment.
When does Fady Dagher’s term as CACP president begin and end?
Dagher was elected in 2026, succeeding Thomas Carrique, whose term began in 2024. CACP presidents typically serve one-year terms, meaning Dagher’s presidency is expected to run through 2027, though exact transition dates depend on the association’s annual conference schedule.
Does Fady Dagher remain chief of the SPVM while serving as CACP president?
Yes. Dagher continues in his role as SPVM chief while also serving as CACP president. The two positions are not mutually exclusive, and past CACP presidents have similarly held onto their home service leadership roles throughout their national terms.
How much does Fady Dagher earn as Montreal’s police chief?
Dagher is reported to be the highest-paid police chief in Quebec, according to coverage of his CACP election. His exact salary figure has drawn public and media scrutiny, particularly given comparisons to compensation levels at other major Quebec police services.
The next marker to watch is the CACP’s first major public statement under Dagher’s presidency, likely on gun crime or mental health response, which will show whether Montreal’s community policing model becomes a national template or stays a local exception.