The Conflict Between Police and Black Communities in Toronto

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17 May 2016

The conflict between police and black communities in Toronto.

“Every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination and, in particular, without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability”( Canadian Carter of Rights and Freedoms, sec.15).

A new racial problem has risen up in Canada. In fact, this conflict has occurred between the Canadian police and the representative of black communities. Ask the Torontonians most affected by it to define “carding” and they will tell that it is a new name for a decades-old problem: random police checks that target young African-Canadian men( MacLellan, Daily Brew). So, what is the essence of the problem, and how to solve it in order to protect blacks?

Police is checking black people on the streets of Toronto. At first, such practice called “street checks”, than it was so-called “intervention”, and now such practice is known as “carding”. In fact, carding has been using for 10 years. According to the investigation report of the Toronto Star, between 2008 and 2013 black people were more likely to be stopped on the street than white. However, during the stop, police officers did not detain or charge a person. There was just a gathering of full information about the current person: name, age, color of ski, weight, and height. All this data was collected, and now it contains a massive database.

Police is calling such system very effective tool, at the same time the protectors if human rights claims, that carding put the person under the risk, because once the person is in the database, a person will be seen as known to police any time his or her name is checked in future (MacLellan, Daily Brew). Black people consist 8.3 per cent of the Toronto’s population, while 25 per cent of all cards contain the information about blacks.

This massive database should be destroyed as soon as possible. Actually, the public knows almost nothing about how its personal information has been stored, accessed, and shared (Desmond Cole, Vice Media). Police officers will continue to carry out their activity. Moreover, they do not have to tell why the person is stopped, or that he has a right to leave. Such a situation seems to be a polite racism regarding black people. Also, it is a direct violation of the Constitution of Canada. “We are asked to accept a world where police classify us not as criminals, but as people who must be monitored in the name of public safety” (Cole Desmond , Vice Media), - said John Tory.

To conclude, carding activity is disruptive. It shows the police from the racial side, and their attitude regarding black people. John Tory is right that black people are simply asked to give up their rights and human dignity. However, there is no a difference between black people, and white people. “If I go in the subway or the bus, and there are seats available, and a white person would come in and if I'm at the end of the seat I would move around, move that he can sit, and he wouldn't even sit down”( Young Chris, The Globe and Mail),- said Michael Parris, a man who was stopped by the police as well. This situation shows how deep is the problem of racial inequity in Canada.

Works Cited

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Part I of the Constitution Act, 1982, being Schedule B to the Canada Act 1982 (U.K.), 1982, c. 11.Print.

Cole, Desmond. "The Massive Police Database of Information on Black Torontonians Should Be Destroyed | VICE | Canada." VICE. N.p., 31 Mar. 2015. Web. 17 May 2016.

MacLellan, Lila. "Toronto Police Controversy: What Is 'carding' and Is It Legal?" Daily Brew. N.p., 6 May 2015. Web. 17 May 2016.

Young, Chris. "Carding and Racial Profiling: What Does It Mean to These Toronto Men?" The Globe and Mail. N.p., 17 Aug. 2015. Web. 17 May 2016.