Police board to vote on revised carding policy at meeting Thursday

TORONTO – The Toronto Police Services Board will vote Thursday whether to approve a revised draft policy on carding practices.

Lawyer Frank Addario, who was hired to create the policy by the Toronto Police Services Board in December, said last month he was not in favour of ending carding.

He said that would just drive bad practices underground, adding that carding has fallen dramatically – 83 or 90 per cent – in the past year.

The draft report says procedures need to be developed that would ensure compliance with human rights laws, such as the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Ontario Human Rights Code and municipal laws.

The policy further outlines training, supervision and reporting guidelines required for the Chief of Police to establish.

Addario consulted several sources to draft the policy, like Toronto police and Toronto Police Association, social scientists, lawyers and community members, Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario and the Ontario Human Rights Commission.

With files from The Canadian Press