Police Carding In Canada

Would you believe that the Toronto Police Service have victimized and discriminated against visible minorities as a result of their tough on crime approach. Many would disagree with such a statement, as the duty of a police officer is to put their life on the line to serve and protect. But at what cost is public safety achieved? The practice of carding is a tactic used by the Toronto Police Service to stop, question, and document personal information on hundreds of thousands of individuals throughout the greater Toronto area. The practice of carding allows the TPS (Toronto Police Service) to document personal information through encounters with the public. This information is then stored in an electronic database, and is believed to aid in future investigations. Bill Blair, the former Chief of Police, believed that the “use of carding was extremely valuable” and said “that the documenting of citizens is good police work.” The official name of this documentation is called a Field Information Report, this small white card allows officers to document the following: Name, date of birth, phone number, address, height, weight, physical description including skin colour, and any means of body identification such as tattoos or marks. Although these …show more content…
Justice Harry LaForme believes that “This kind of daily tracking of the whereabouts of persons- including many innocent law-abiding persons- has an aspect to it that reminds me of former government regimes.” The use of carding subsequently has both positives and negatives. On one hand it helps reduce crime, and may lead to getting weapons and contraband off the streets. On the other hand, carding contributes to alienation of those that are marginalized. The fact that young black males are being stopped disproportionately has led to a crisis of distrust within