Today Ontario's Ombudsman, Andre Marin, took to twitter to demand answers from the chair of the Ottawa Police Services Board over his recent comments on street checks.
On Tuesday, chair Eli El-Chantiry said police checks are not illegal.
Marin tweeted Thursday, 1/4 @OttawaPolice Services Board Chair just declared carding "legal". Why is it important to find out who's giving him advice?
— Ontario Ombudsman (@Ont_Ombudsman) July 30, 2015
In another tweet Marin writes “So let’s hear it, chair @EliElChantiry. Who’s your legal advisor? And publish the advice.”
El-Chantiry did not respond to the online messages.
A street check, more commonly called carding, is when police stop people on the street to take down their information, including race, and keep it for future investigations.
Critics say carding is used to discriminate against black people.
Marin, whose job as Ombudsman is to look into complaints against the Ontario government, has publically come out against street checks in his annual report. He calls the measure illegal and wrong.
These tweets come the same day the province announced it will hold public consultations on street checks to ensure that police conduct these interactions without bias.
In a release the Ontario government says, ‘the province takes the protection of human rights very seriously and has zero tolerance for any form of marginalization or discrimination that violates rights guaranteed under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Ontario does not support any practice where police are stopping individuals without reason, cause or for clear policing purposes.”
