Racial profiling and racism results in Aboriginal centre giving legal advice
From http://www.cbc.ca/ottawa/story/ot-cards20060303.html
Aboriginal centre hands out legal advice
Last Updated: March 3, 2006
An aboriginal health centre is trying to educate its clients on the racism they say is plaguing the Ottawa police by handing out business cards outlining their rights if stopped by police.
To combat what they call a longtime problem of racial profiling, the Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health, located in Vanier, requested a legal aid organization make up the cards, which are the size of two busines cards folded over.
Two weeks ago, counsellors began handing them out to clients.
SERIES: Beyond the Badge: Investigating the Ottawa Police Service
Excerpt from card:
- Officer, if I am under arrest or being detained please tell me so.
- If I am free to go please tell me so.
- If I am not free to go please tell me why.
- I wish to exercise all my legal rights including my right to silence and my right to speak to a lawyer before I say anything to you.
- I do not consent to being searched.
- I wish to be released without delay.
- Please do not ask me questions because I will not willingly talk to you until I speak to a lawyer.
- Thank you for respecting my rights.
"We want our people to know that they do have rights, that no matter what level they may presently occupy in society they are to be treated with respect, dignity and they are not there for someone to push and intimidate," said Dan Printup, manager of the centre's homelessness program.
The idea was a response to complaints from young people saying they'd been detained on the streets and pulled over in their cars for no apparent reason.
"It's hard to beat our stereotype for natives. Our stereotype growing up was drunk, lazy, welfare, violent, uneducated," said Printup. "How do you beat 10 generations of that way of thinking? It's hard for them to see us as equals."
While Deputy Chief Larry Hill would neither deny nor confirm racial profiling, he acknowledged a growing discontent in the First Nations community. But he stressed that officers still have a job to perform.
"It's a very fine line between what people perceive as 'My rights are being violated,' versus our very real attempts to quell crime in certain areas," said Hill.
He says the police force is searching for ways to bridge the gap between First Nations people and the police, but Hill said the two sides have been at odds for so long it may be hard to close the gap.