Allô Police
| Type | Weekly tabloid |
|---|---|
| Format | Tabloid |
| Founder(s) | Robert Poulin, Berthold Brisebois and Fernand Boisseau |
| Founded | February 28, 1953 |
Ceased publication | July 2004 |
| Language | French |
| Headquarters | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
Allô Police was a Canadian French-language weekly tabloid published in Montreal, Quebec, from 1953 to 2004. Specializing in crime journalism, it became known for sensational coverage of murders, organized crime, police investigations and trials, frequently accompanied by graphic photographs of crime scenes, victims and suspects.[1]
At its height during the 1970s and 1980s, Allô Police reportedly sold approximately 150,000 copies a week.[2]
History
Allô Police was founded by journalists Robert Poulin, Berthold Brisebois and Fernand Boisseau. Its first issue appeared on February 28, 1953.[3] It emerged during a period in which crime reporting had become increasingly prominent in Quebec's tabloid press.[1]
The founders initially presented the newspaper as having a social and moral purpose rather than simply profiting from crime and violence. They argued that exposing criminal behaviour could serve a useful purpose by warning readers about the consequences of abandoning socially acceptable conduct.[1] Despite this stated purpose, the publication quickly became associated with sensational crime reporting. Its front pages featured photographs of murder victims, criminals and weapons, while its articles sometimes provided graphic descriptions of crime scenes.[1]
The newspaper covered murders, robberies, organized crime, prostitution and other criminal and judicial matters. Its emphasis changed over time. A study of the publication found that reports concerning criminal offences accounted for 52.94 per cent of its content between 1953 and 1959, increasing to 85.19 per cent during the 1970s and 77.14 per cent between 1990 and 2000.[1]
Allô Police was particularly known for details about criminal cases that were not readily available elsewhere and for an annual review of murders committed in Quebec. Researchers who compared its murder lists with official statistics found an error rate of approximately ten per cent. The publication consequently became a source for research into Quebec criminal history.[4]
The newspaper also developed close relationships with members of Quebec's police and legal communities. Journalist Claude Poirier later described Allô Police as an important source of information for both the public and police forces and recalled close links between its journalists and members of the Montreal police and the Sûreté du Québec.[5]
Among the criminals and criminal cases extensively covered by the newspaper were Richard Blass, Jacques Mesrine, Monica "la Mitraille" Proietti, Lucien Rivard, Frank Cotroni and Maurice Boucher.[2]
In 2000, Allô Police attracted wider attention after Poirier attended the wedding of an influential member of the Hells Angels. He learned that singers Ginette Reno and Jean-Pierre Ferland had performed at the event, and photographs from the wedding subsequently appeared on the front pages of major Quebec newspapers.[4]
Also in 2000, Allô Police was acquired by lawyer Jean-Pierre Rancourt and media businessman Richard Desmarais through Section Rouge Média Inc. The new owners eliminated nudity from the publication.[4]
In 2003, the publication was renamed Allô! Week-end in an attempt to reposition it as a general-interest publication. The new format was unsuccessful, and publication ended the following year.[4] The Université du Québec à Montréal's Chronologie de Montréal dates its final issue to July 2004.[3]
Legacy and archives
Allô Police became a prominent example of sensational crime journalism in Quebec. The Encyclopédie du patrimoine culturel de l'Amérique française describes crime-related sensationalism as the publication's defining characteristic and notes its popularity from its early years.[1]
In 2019, the rights to the Allô Police collection were acquired by Madame Karine, a company specializing in audiovisual research.[4] The archives subsequently provided material for the 2025 book La filière Allô Police : Les vedettes du crime au Québec, by Karine Perron, Annie Richard and Jean-Philippe Rousseau. The book examined eleven prominent Quebec criminal cases using material preserved in the newspaper's archives.[6]
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Couvrette, Sébastien. "Presse écrite au Québec, 2e partie (XXe-XXIe siècles)". Encyclopédie du patrimoine culturel de l'Amérique française. Retrieved August 19, 2026.
- 1 2 "«La filière Allô Police»: quand Richard Blass et Jacques Mesrine fascinaient". 98.5 Montréal. October 31, 2025. Retrieved August 19, 2026.
- 1 2 "Allo Police". Chronologie de Montréal. Université du Québec à Montréal. Retrieved August 19, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Allô Police (revue)". Wikipédia (in French). Retrieved August 19, 2026.
- ↑ "«Il y avait un lien très fort entre les forces policières et Allô Police»". 98.5 Montréal. November 2, 2025. Retrieved August 19, 2026.
- ↑ Sauvé, Mathieu-Robert (November 2, 2025). "Jacques Mesrine, Richard Blass, Monica la Mitraille: les plus grands meurtriers de l'histoire du Québec en «vedette» dans un livre". Le Journal de Québec. Retrieved August 19, 2026.