Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart is joining the call for an end to street checks, as many say they constitute racial profiling.
Organization Hogan’s Alley Society is banning together with Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs and the B.C. Civil Liberties Association to call for an end to these checks.
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“A recent review of VPD street checks provided clear evidence that the VPD has been arbitrarily stopping people without lawful authority, including people who were walking in the rain or walking a dog on a church lawn,” said Latoya Farrell of BC Civil Liberties Association in a statement.
The following day, Stewart held a press conference, where he asked Premiere John Horgan for a “comprehensive review” of policing in B.C.
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That means investigating the systemic racism Black and indigenous people in B.C. face. It will also look at ending “discriminatory street checks.”
According to studies, Black and Indigenous people are overrepresented in the number of VPD street checks.
In 2017, Indigenous people accounted for more than 16% of street checks, despite making up 2% of the population.
Meanwhile, Black people accounted for 5% of the checks, while making up 1% of the population.
This comes at a time, where Black Lives Matter protests have been happening across North America. Vancouver has held two rallies so far, with a march against hate planned for next week.
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