Anti-racism committee wants police board members to listen about carding

Hamilton's police oversight board hasn't done enough to consult people of colour about its new carding policies, says the city's committee against racism (CAR). Now it hopes some of the members make good on their pledge to come by and talk.

How many times do you want us to talk about this? You're not understanding it. What other measures can we do to help you understand?- Marlene Dei-Amoah

Hamilton Police Service's all-white board has drafted a new policy for street checks, otherwise known as carding. But it's done so without talking to the people most affected — those in racialized communities, said Marlene Dei-Amoah, CAR vice-chair.

She's invited police services board members to a CAR meeting Nov. 22. So far, three have said they'd come. Dei-Amoah hopes they do.

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"To somehow not think that would be important, to invite the people who are impacted to talk about the policy and highlight what our concerns are, is kind of inconceivable to me."

It's not the first time the board has taken fire for its handling of the street check issue.

Other non-white residents have pointed out the lack of consultation too. Earlier this year, Matthew Green, Hamilton's first black city councillor, said the board has "no interest in adequately addressing this issue."

"That board is culturally incompetent," he said. "It's unprepared and unequipped to have this conversation."

That's not to say there hasn't been feedback. More than 200 people packed city hall council chambers last September for a town hall with Yasir Naqvi, Ontario's current Attorney General.

Maybe we've got it right.- Coun. Lloyd Ferguson

Carding is "invasive, dehumanizing and unconstitutional practice," activist Kayonne Christy said then. Fellow activist Kermeisha Williams said the service isn't transparent about why it collects the data, or where it goes.

Police board members attended that, Dei-Amoah said. "And this is the document that came forward.

"How many times do you want us to talk about this? You're not understanding it. What other measures can we do to help you understand?"

Chair Lloyd Ferguson, an Ancaster councillor, says there's been consultation. This policy largely comes from the province, he said, and the province consulted plenty of minority groups.

I'm actually quite excited by them saying 'we'll come.'- Marlene Dei-Amoah

"Basically, what our policy does is it directs the chief to do the training so officers can implement the new provincial legislation," he said. Otherwise, "we were told to stand down."

Ferguson will be at Tuesday's meeting though. The reason? He's the newest council appointee on CAR. He said he wants to know more about racism, and "I like to learn."

Walt Juchniewicz and Coun. Terry Whitehead said they'd be there too. 

"As soon as you provide us with a date, I will be there," Whitehead told Dei-Amoah during a police board meeting Thursday.

The board will approve the draft policy in December. It invited people to give feedback at the Thursday meeting. Dei-Amoah was one of two speakers.

That means "maybe we've got it right," Ferguson said. But Dei-Amoah said it's more likely weariness — people feeling like they've told their stories repeatedly with few results.

Still, she said, she's heartened by the promises to attend.

"I'm actually quite excited by them saying 'we'll come.'"