‘Change is taking too long’: Halifax police needs to act on racial profiling recommendations, says professor
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"Change is taking too long and while we wait people of African descent are being affected, drastically affected when we’re continuing to hear, see and experience insult and harm at the hands of HRP."
Chender agrees. The Dartmouth South MLA confronted Justice Minister Mark Furey in the legislature on HRP’s lack of progress in following Wortley’s road map. Chender was unable to get the minister to commit to a timeline for when both his department and HRP would adopt the recommendations.
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Both Chender and Hamilton-Hinch believe it's vital that HRP hangs on to its street check data, minus any personal information. It is another of Wortley’s recommendations that neither HRP or Furey has committed to. The information - race, age and gender- provides important historical data that would hold the force accountable.
"As a researcher, we often learn from the past to look to see if things have changed," said Hamilton-Hinch. "Destroying that data is almost like erasing the past, it’s like destroying evidence."
Chender also pushed Furey on the issue to which he committed to having discussions with HRP but offered no guarantees.
"There are differing positions on the use and value of that (information) and we want to be sure we land in a space that’s appropriate for all," he said.
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