Cease and Desist Street Checks - Member's Statement

MS. CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : As I rise today on the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, we must all be attentive to the ways in which regressive policies continue to affect the daily lives of racialized Nova Scotians.

One such policy is street checks, where an innocent individual's data is collected, kept, and shared with various authoritative bureaus. We have seen the numbers. We have heard from the community members and leaders. We have even heard from officers. We know that this practice discriminately targets racialized persons. This is nothing short of a constitutional violation.

The voices of those affected have been relentless and amplified enough for government to initiate a review on street checks last year. Yet while the review process is ongoing, so, too, is the practice. This government is still justifying the continuation of this discriminative policy while an outside analyst lays it out beneath a microscope.

It's my view and that of many others that if a practice carries even a whiff of constitutional violation, it should be halted immediately. Based on this government's commitment to racial equality, I would expect nothing less than a cease and desist on street checks.

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