Racial profiling cases against Montreal police face long delays

The Quebec Human Rights and Youth Rights Commission is facing calls to explain why racial profiling complaints against Montreal police are taking up to sevenyears to be addressed.

The Montreal-basedCenter for Research-Action on Race Relations, orCRARR,has compiled a list of complaints going back to 2009 thatstill haven't been addressed.

Thosedelays can lead to some complaints being thrown out, said CRARR'sexecutive director,Fo Niemi.

Teen left bloodied

Victor Whyte was15when he sayspolice left him bloodied after accusing him of getting on a city bus without paying.

He said he was eating at McDonald's with some friends and the group was being a bit loud. The manager called police, who arrived soon after and toldthe teens to leave.

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The officersordered them to board a city bus and Whyte was the last to get on. That's when he saidan officer grabbedhim.

"Police yanked me off the bus. Ripped my shirt. I had two earrings and one ripped out. I had blood all over my shirt," Whyte told CBC News.

Police told him he hadn't paid for the bus. Whytesaidhe had a bus pass.

Part of the incident was caught on video, which Whyte's mother said left her shaken.

"When I look at the video and see what the police have done to my child,I feel so sick. I feel so hurt. And I feel likethey get away with it," Heather Whytesaid.

Another complaint that's been in limbo for years came from Marcus Gordon in 2011.

He said he was jaywalking with a large crowd after a concert let out at the Metropolis concert hall on Ste-CatherineStreet whenpolice stopped him.

Gordon alleged policeignored the others who were jaywalkingand went directly for him.

He saidhe also once had police surround his car and point a gun in his face before realizinghe wasn't the person they were after.

Cases on hold for years

Niemisaid he's seen cases drag on for up to eight years and criticized what he callsa "culture of delay" atQuebec Human Rights and Youth Rights Commission.

"Delays and whatnot, it's a form of license for these acts of racial profiling to continue," Niemi said.

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The commissionsaid itknows the processing time on some files is too long.

The organization said itintends to reduce delays before 2019.

The commission added that "there is no difference of treatment based on language, race, colour, ethnic or national origin. All complainants are treated equally."

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