David Tanovich, racial profiling expert and LEAP's faculty director, Ottawa police Chief Vern White was receptive to the group's ideas. He was quoted as saying: ''Police need guidance as to where the boundaries are.'' He also said that LEAP's policy “goes beyond defining it. It goes on to develop standards to be used by officers.''
Ottawa police Supt. Ed Keeley said he hopes to have the policy in place by June, after its review by the policy committee. ''It gives us the ability to measure compliance to what our expectations are,'' he was quoted as saying.
The policy, as put forth by LEAP, describes racial profiling as “the use of race, ethnicity or stereotypes, consciously or unconsciously, in targeting suspects.'' An exception would be if a witness uses race as part of the physical description of a suspect.
Nicole Myers, student director of LEAP, was quoted as saying that police “relationships need to be better with people of colour ... we need to be educating officers on the ground.''
A recent incident involving Stacy Bonds underscores the need for a racial profiling policy. In September of 2008, Bonds was arrested for an alcohol related charge. The charge was dropped after a videotape was brought to light that showed police officers assaulting Bonds and cutting off her shirt and bra with scissors. Per Bonds, the violence was racially motivated, and she is suing the police for over $1 million.
