In measured but passionate tones, leaders from a community coalition calling for increased police accountability laid out accusations Thursday of racial profiling by the Winnipeg Police Service, random checkstops and carding of members from visual minority communities. IRCOM director and Police Accountability Coalition member Dorota Blumczynska says budgets for after-school and sports programs are being cut while the police budget grows. Louise Simbandumwe, the co-director of Supporting Employment and Economic Development (SEED) Winnipeg, told the police board her organization tries to avoid calling police when it encounters a difficult situation with a client or at its offices. Police chief denies profiling, checkstopsPolice Chief Danny Smyth told reporters after the meeting people were "entitled to their views," but denied accusations of racism, or use of tactics such as checkstops or profiling by Winnipeg police. Police board chair Markus Chambers, who is relatively new to the role, accepted the submissions from the Police Accountability Coalition as concerns to take seriously.

Source: CBC News September 24, 2020 21:56 UTC