A Lethbridge lawyer wants the Lethbridge Police Commission to be more transparent about street checks.
“When people feel the police are targeting them, they feel very apprehensive towards the police and they feel very negatively towards the police, so it makes them less likely to cooperate,” says lawyer Miranda Hlady.
Hlady has been looking into street checks, also known as or carding, since 2016.
It’s when police stop, question and document people in public places, without investigating a specific offence.
Police Chief Rob Davis responded to Hlady’s concerns in late February, but she said there’s still several unanswered questions.
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“Our initial complaint was filed over a year ago now, such a long time ago, and we still don’t have meaningful answers to most of what we asked,” she said on Friday.
Hlady filed an appeal to the police commission, hoping to prompt a review into the matter.
But the commission issued a letter to Hlady late last month, stating they are holding off on the decision.
The letter states the commission will revisit the appeal after the Alberta government has completed a province-wide review currently underway on carding.
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Hlady said there is no need to wait.
“A number of things we raised in our appeal are things that could be addressed immediately. For example, we discussed the lack of transparency, the lack of transparency regarding the provision of policy, the fact the review of carding hasn’t been made publicly accessible; these are all things that could be addressed even without the province making any decision on findings.”
In a statement to Global News, Justice Minister Kathleen Ganley said the Edmonton Police Service recently wrapped up consultation on street checks and the ministry is waiting to see those results.
“In our own consultation, we heard from various groups, often emphasizing the importance of building a better relationship of trust with police across the province,” Ganley said. “We’re going to keep looking for ways to do that, as it’s essential the public feel respected while police are doing important work protecting our communities day in and day out.”
The police commission denied further comment on the appeal and there is no deadline for when the province will wrap up its review.
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