OTTAWA - A settlement between the city's police service and the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) means Ottawa cops will collect race-based data on traffic stops by its officers.
This follows a human rights complaint by resident Chad Aiken, who was pulled over in his mother's Mercedes-Benz in 2005. Aiken was 18 at the time, and alleged he was stopped because he was African-Canadian.
A partial settlement in his case was reached in 2010, but a new settlement reached two weeks ago requires officers to collect race-based data for two years.
"Our goal was to seek public interest remedies, so we advocated for data collection and are very pleased that the Ottawa Police Services have agreed to do that," said Barbara Hall, chief commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission.
Read on...
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Showing posts with label Ottawa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ottawa. Show all posts
A crime debate without facts or arguments
By Dan Gardner, Ottawa Citizen
I suppose I could write a substantive and serious column about the government's omnibus crime bill.
First, I'd explain the many proposals. Then I'd say they are a terrible mistake. They will not reduce crime, but they will waste billions of dollars, spawn injustices, and damage communities. Or so I would argue.
If I did that, I would cite evidence. Lots of it. There's a small mountain of criminological research to support my case, along with much fine writing by jurists and political scientists. There's also practical experience, here and elsewhere - especially the United States, where even rock-ribbed Republicans are having second thoughts about the policies Stephen Harper is importing to this country.
I could do that. It would be easy. I've done it before. Dozens of times. I've been writing about criminal justice policy ever since I became a journalist in 1997.
Ottawa cops reviewing detention policies after release of disturbing videos
OTTAWA — A beleaguered Ottawa police force is reviewing its detention policies and defending the rank-and-file after videos were released showing officers striking two prisoners and cutting a woman’s clothes off.
Chief Vern White says the videos have shaken the public’s confidence in the force.
“I’m always concerned about public confidence,” White told a news conference on Thursday.
“The public, overall, I think have tremendous confidence in what we do. And I understand they’re shaken by what they’ve seen.”
White was the chief of police for the Durham Regional Police Service before taking up the position in Ottawa.
Maybe Canada needs something like National Police Misconduct Statistics and Reporting Project. Tom
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