After the mayor recently called out its racist tendencies, Vancouver passed a motion to end street checks that often target Black and Indigenous people.
The motion, which passed unanimously, calls for the mayor to write to the Vancouver Police Board, telling them to end the practice of street checks.
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However, Mayor Kennedy Stewart said the council does not have the authority to abolish them. That is up to the police board, he said.
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“The police board will review all this in September including ending street checks, and that’s really where the debate will happen is some time in the fall,” said Stewart.
Street checks happen when an officer approaches someone who they believe looks suspicious or may be involved in criminal activity.
However, VPD data shows a disproportionate number of street checks involve Indigenous and Black people.
Recently, Stewart had called street checks discriminatory and said while police are doing 91% fewer checks, it’s still too many.
However, Vancouver police say these checks are valuable.
“Street checks are a proactive crime prevention tool for police, even though they are used infrequently,” said VPD spokesperson Const. Tania Visintin in an earlier statement.
Whether or not Vancouver street checks do come to an end will be looked into later this year.
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