*Updated 4:00pm April 17, 2019
Police services across Nova Scotia have been told to stop street checks.
Justice Minister Mark Furey issued the directive to suspend the controversial practice, three weeks after a report by Professor Scot Wortley showed Black Nova Scotians are six times more likely to be checked by police.
Furey says he needed time to make an informed decision.
“I have reached out personally to leaders in the African-Nova Scotia community and those interactions have been key to the decision and direction that I have provided today.”
The moratorium protects people from street checks in public areas, such as parks, sidewalks or other places accessible to the public, provided there is no suspicious or illegal activity.
Officers can still conduct traffic stops to check for a valid paperwork as well as for sobriety or suspicion but passengers and pedestrians do not have to provide unrelated personal information.
The directive also makes it clear that no activity conducted by police, including a traffic stop, can be done based on discrimination, including race.
Furey says it’s important to recognize the work of officers from across the province.
“This is no reflection of the commitment and the service they provide Nova Scotians. This is a finding within HRM (Halifax Regional Municipality) that we believe is important to address.”
More than 1,900 police officers across Nova Scotia will be trained on the fundamentals of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Reported by: Ed Halverson
Twitter: @edwardhalverson
E-mail: halverson.ed@radioabl.ca
