Montreal police commander relieved of duties pending investigation
Cmdr. Patrice Vilceus suspended based on unspecified information from Quebec's provincial police
A high-ranking Montreal police officer has been relieved of his duties, based on unspecified information provided by Quebec's provincial police.
Cmdr. Patrice Vilceus was relieved of his duties effective immediately and for an undetermined amount of time while the information from la Sûreté du Québec is investigated.
Vilceus was named in an initial statement signed by Montreal police Chief Philippe Pichet issued Monday morning, but the statement was replaced by one that did not name the officer.
Message du <a href="https://twitter.com/Dir_Pichet">@Dir_Pichet</a> : Le <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SPVM?src=hash">#SPVM</a> suspend un de ses cadres. <a href="https://t.co/TVR2TPEvSY">pic.twitter.com/TVR2TPEvSY</a>
—@SPVMRadio-Canada has since confirmed that the suspended officer is Vilceus.
A top cop in organized crime squad
Vilceus was in the news early last year when it emerged that highly sensitive documents had been stolen from his car while he attended a Christmas party in December 2015.
Vilceus was one of the top officers in a division known as the Eclipse squad, which fights organized crime in the Montreal region.
It was reported at the time that Vilceus was a highly regarded member of the force with a spotless 20-year career.
He led several investigations, including internal ones, which led to disciplinary action against officers.