Bonnardel targets police for racial profiling
Posted March 15, 2023 2:08 pm.
Last Updated March 15, 2023 2:09 pm.
Quebec wants to better supervise police stops in order to fight racial profiling and give more teeth to the Police Ethics Commissioner.
The Minister of Public Security, François Bonnardel, presented on Wednesday a vast bill that aims mainly to modernize certain practices of police forces.
The legislation addresses the issue of police stops, including interceptions in relation to section 636 of the Highway Safety Code, which many see as a source of racial profiling by police.
Following the adoption of Bill 14, Minister Bonnardel is committed to establishing guidelines to ensure that police stops based on discriminatory grounds are prohibited. If the guidelines are not followed, police officers could face disciplinary action.
Police forces will also be held accountable by providing annual information on the stops they have made.
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The Legault government has no plans to abolish section 636 of the Highway Safety Code, which allows police to stop vehicles without cause.
Quebec is challenging the Superior Court’s decision to strike down this provision of the Code. The judge considered that this arbitrary power granted to police officers “has become for some of them a vehicle, even a safe-conduct for racial profiling against the Black community”.
Bill 14 also calls for the Police Ethics Committee to become an administrative tribunal that can conduct investigations. It would also have the power to impose additional measures, in addition to sanctions, on a police officer whose conduct is contrary to its code of ethics.
These include taking training or refresher courses, undergoing a medical assessment, participating in an assistance or support program or therapy related to their needs, and participating in a community involvement program.
-This Canadian Press article was translated from French
