After Patrick Lagac, other Montreal journalists worry they, too, were spied on

Following revelations Montreal police obtained warrants to spy on a La Presse columnist, other Montreal journalists are raising concerns they may also have been tracked by law enforcement authorities.

MonicNron, a court reporter with the news station 98.5 FM, believes she may have been the target of investigators, as well.

Nronsaida source told her police have been looking at their own officers'phone records tofind out who's been leaking information to the media.

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"Last spring, someone told me, 'Maybe you are under surveillance.' And at that time, I didn't believe it," she told CBC News.

In her case,she said police probablydidn't needa warrant, since cell phones issued to police officers are likely the property of their employer.

"We don't know for sure but, honestly, we had enough information to be very worried. And today, the question is what are we going to do now?"

Police were reportedly tracking Lagac as part of an investigation into one of their own officers whothey suspected was committingcrimes. Investigators found that the officer under suspicion had calledLagac.

Reportedly, that was enough to convince a justice of the peace to grant 24warrants over the course of this year.

Our job is central to exposing some of the problems in our democracy.- JulianSher, investigative journalist

Experts say the warrants,which allowed police to track Lagace'smovements and to see who he was in contact with, wouldn't have been very difficult to obtain.

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However, if police had wanted to listen to the content of conversations, such warrantswould have been more difficult to get.

Radio-Canada reporter also targeted?

At CBC's French-language service, Radio-Canada, there's concerninvestigative journalist and radio host Alain Gravel was also tracked by police.

Jean-Pelletier,senior producer ofRadio-Canada'sEnqute, saidhe has no proof members ofhis team have been spied on, but he's extremely concerned.

Pelletier saidthe Lagac case is very similar to a situation involving Gravel a few years ago.

Like Lagac, Gravel had beenin contact with a Montreal police officer suspected of committing crimes, and police internal affairs investigators discovered that the officer under suspicion had called Gravel.

Pelletier saidhe's written to Montreal police Chief Philippe Pichet, asking him point blank if Gravel was under surveillance, and if so, to explain why.

Sparking a discussion

Julian Sher, senior producer ofCBC's investigative program the fifth estate, said many important stories have been broken thanks to anonymous sources who may not have come forward if they believed their identity could be revealed.

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"The fact that the Montreal police would deliberately try to spy on one of our colleagues to find out his sources flags that danger," he told CBC Montreal'sDaybreak.

"It sparked a discussion and allows people to understand what our role is. Our job is central to exposing some of the problems in our democracy."

Politicians respond

Montreal police Chief Philippe Pichethas so far resisted pressure from the political oppositionto step down over the controversy.

Neither Mayor Denis Coderre, who recommended Pichetfor the top job,nor Quebec Premier Philippe Couillardhave called for his resignation.

Coderre said Wednesday that citycouncil will continue to examine the allegations behind closed doors in case subjects come up that may wind up in the courts.

"I willalways be there to protect the rights of journalists to do their jobs," he said.

"This is not a public court. There is a process to follow."

On Tuesday, Couillardsaid he would assemble acommittee of expertsto look into the protection of journalistic sources.

Couillardalso said the governmentwill issuea directive to make it more difficult to obtaina search warrant that would targeta journalist, raisingthe bar toa higher level on par with lawyers and judges.