Lawyer Howard Morton said he’s not surprised by the race data on Peel’s street-check practices.
“If the Star hadn’t looked closely at Toronto, which had a similarly disproportionate number of black people being carded, this would come as a surprise in Peel,” said Morton, a member of the Law Union of Ontario. He and his group have been staunch critics of carding, arguing that the practice violates Charter of Rights protections against unlawful search and seizure, and detention. He will be speaking at a Peel Police Services Board meeting on Friday.
“But what is surprising is that Peel’s (police) board has never dealt with this. That’s the most disturbing thing, that the Peel police service board has done absolutely nothing about this.”
Peel police Chief Jennifer Evans was asked Wednesday why black people are more often stopped in street checks by her force. A spokesperson for the police responded:
“The board report ‘Street Check Process’ will be on the public agenda Friday at the police services board meeting. The report highlights include: A review of the Peel Regional Police street check process with action to be undertaken, as well as data collection; officer training; retention of the street check forms; supervisory oversight of the street check forms; and audit of information contained within the street check form.”