The Ontario Human Rights Commission is launching a public interest inquiry into racial discrimination and racial profiling by the Toronto Police Service. Using its legislated powers under the province’s Human Rights Code, the commission has called for Toronto police, its board and the Special Investigations Unit — the provincial police watchdog that probes police-involved fatalities, injuries and allegations of sexual assault — to provide what the OHRC is calling a “wide range of data” to determine “how and where racial profiling operates in law enforcement.”The commission has asked for seven years’ worth of data — from January 2010 to June 2017 — to examine whether there is racial profiling and discrimination against members of the Black community during specific interactions. Those include: use of force; arrests and charges; stop and questioning practices; and forms and conditions of release for various offence categories, including obstructing or assaulting a police officer, simple drug possession and failing to comply with a bail condition. “The OHRC will inquire into the possible disproportionate impact of the above activities on Black persons and communities,” reads the commission terms of reference for the inquiry.

Source: thestar November 30, 2017 15:11 UTC