Hamilton police should explain street checks and address community concerns

Ismal Traor is a doctoralcandidate at McMaster University with a focus on race and ethnicity. He is amember ofBlack, Brown, Red Lives Matter.

I believe that Hamilton Police Services engages in carding; this is clear-cut, and it has to stop.

Anti-racist advocates will be making a deputation to the Hamilton Police Service Board to advocate,among other things, that the practice ofcardingwhat is called 'street checks by Hamilton policeand other Ontario servicesbe ended by police.

Residents of Hamilton are invitedto join on Thursday June 25 at 2pm at Hamilton City Hall, Council Chambers.

I suggest a seriesof neighbourhood conversation events and a longitudinal study to hear stories of innocentand law-abiding persons who have felt hassled and mistreated.- Ismael Traore

In Hamilton, the ACTION Teamthe foot-patrol andbike-patrol officersthat was launched in May 7, 2010, engages in street checks.

I believe thisis unconstitutionalfor it violates Hamiltonians' Charter rights not to be arbitrarily detained and subjected to unreasonablesearch and seizure. Information collected during these encounters is then stored in a databankcontrolled by Hamilton police, which is a violation of our privacy rights.

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Moreover, it has been shown inToronto that officers disproportionately target the homeless, working class people, and especiallypersons of colour.

With the Pan Am games in the horizon, carding will intensify.

Reform coming

The provincial government intends to reform "street checks". BBRLM's calls for the banning of cardingbut acknowledges this announcement, is pleased that Andrea Horwath has declared her NDP wishes toend carding, that Peel Police Chief Jennifer Evans has admitted to using "street checks", and thatMississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie and Brampton Mayor Linda Jeffrey have moved a motion to reviewand bring changes to the PRP's practice of street checks.

In Hamilton, in addition to anecdotes, evidence of street checks is aplenty. Page 4 of the HPS ActionStrategy Annual 2013 Report, for instance, clearly includes 'ACTION Street Checks' and 'ACTIONCommunity Contacts'. From May 2012 to March 2014, 18,569 street checks and 217,686 communitycontacts were performed.

On page 4 of a similar titled report but for 2014, for reasons unstated in thedocument, street check counts are absent.

Could street check now be included under communitycontacts?

On page 8 of HPSB's April 15 2013 public meeting notes, the ACTION Team mandate reads that "ACTIONOfficers are encouraged to talk to everyone, letting the public know about their community focusedmandate. Officers carry ACTION Cards with them to provide to the public, the back of this card explainsthe ACTION mandate".

The wording is clear; everyone can be arbitrarily detained and questioned.Moreover, with HPS coming under fire for creating a quota-culture for tickets, carding is surelyimpacted.

Need to hear from those affected

BBRLM is not surprised that HPS is officially denying engaging in carding for fear it will incriminate anddiscredit itself.

Indeed, carding also drives away business, thus investment. Coun. Matthew Green ofWard 3, however, has heard of persons being stopped on the streets and questioned. I suggest a seriesof neighborhood conversation events and a longitudinal study to hear stories of innocent and law-abiding persons who have felt hassled and mistreated by some Hamilton police officers.

In light of the provincial controversy around carding, BBRLM calls upon the HPSB to:

a) terminate carding

b) expunge the current street checks data bank

c) enforce issuing of receipts for persons under investigation

d) enforce officers to tell suspects their rights to not answer or offer ID and that they are free toask for a lawyer

You can contact BBRLM at bbrlm@hotmail.com