Ontario launches public consultations into police carding

Toronto Mayor John Tory had pledged in June to reform “carding” in the city, but then decided to delay any action until the province reviewed the controversial police practice.

Thestar.com
July 30, 2015
By Debra Black

With the Black Lives Matter protest that blocked traffic on the Allen Expressway earlier this week still fresh in the minds of many, the provincial government has announced plans to begin public consultations on street checks or carding.

The consultations - which will be held with community organizations, policing partners, academics, civil liberty organizations as well as asking the general public for online participation - are to begin in August.

Toronto Mayor John Tory had pledged in June to reform “carding” in the city, but then decided to delay any action until the province reviewed the controversial police practice and set up province wide regulations.

Community Safety Minister Yasir Naqvi announced in June that the provincial government planned to review the practice often called “street checks” outside Toronto.

“Our government takes the protection of human rights very seriously and has been clear that we have zero tolerance for racism or marginalization, including any form of discrimination based on skin colour, background, religion or gender,” said Naqvi in a news release. “We stand opposed to any practice where police stop individuals without reason, cause or for clear policing purposes.”

The consultations will develop new rules so the practice of street checks is “right-based and properly carried out, protecting individual Charter and human rights, strengthening public accountability and allowing for a consistent and clearly defined approach for police,” the Ontario government’s release said.

The practice of carding in the GTA has been an extremely controversial one with many activists criticizing it as a form of “racial profiling.”

Regional meetings with community organizations, academics, policing partners and civil liberties organizations are supposed to begin later in August. And members of the general public will be welcome to attend all of these meetings. Dates and times of those consultations are to be announced shortly.

The government has also launched an online questionnaire for members of the public, who have had experiences with carding or street checks, to weigh in and provide feedback.

The consultations will examine a number of issues, including the circumstances when police may ask an individual for information; the rights of those being asked for their information; how to enhance accountability mechanisms and training requirements as well as data collection and retention.

Many policing authorities believe street checks if done properly are a necessary and valuable tool for police. But the issue has been fraught with controversy in the GTA. A Toronto Star investigation in 2012 showed a disproportionate number of black residents were being carded by police. After the investigation the Toronto Police Services Board began working on carding reform.

A new carding or “community engagement” policy was voted in by the board in April 2014, but gathered dust because then chief Bill Blair refused to write procedures to implement it. A watered down policy was passed a year later. Blair suspended carding in January.

Toronto’s new chief of police Mark Saunders has defended carding as a valuable investigative tool, but has said he will end “random” stops. Fewer than one in 10 carding interactions is the result of “intelligence-led policing,” according to analysis done by the Toronto Police Service.