Police Complaints Commissioner Archives

Robert Wright: “All agencies that are responsible for upholding the civil and human rights of Black people have failed us”

October 21, 2020

After Premier McNeil’s surprise apology for systemic racism in the justice system and the harm it has done, he announced the formation of a design team “to reimagine a system of justice in Nova Scotia”. We talk with Robert Wright, spokesperson for the DPAD coalition, to find out more about its proposals for an African Nova Scotian Justice Institute and a Policing Strategy, and to better understand its criticism of the provincial justice initiative.

More demands that police street checks be stopped immediately

March 16, 2018

As police street checks continue unabated in Halifax and all of Nova Scotia, members of the African Nova Scotian communities and their allies are collecting signatures for a petition asking that the racist practice be banned province-wide.

That’s stopping people at random. Former Halifax City police officer Calvin Lawrence on carding

March 22, 2017

Calvin Lawrence, a former Black police officer who served with Halifax City Police in the sixties and seventies, has been following the discussion about carding from his current residence in Ottawa. He’s not happy with the Chief’s stance, and draws on his own experiences as a cop on the Gottingen and Gerrish beat to explain why.

Halifax police chief J.M Blais at carding community meeting: what is the problem we are trying to solve?

March 17, 2017 2 Comments

We went to last night’s panel on carding at the North End Library. We planned to write about the entire evening, but we ended up with a story focused entirely on the remarkable responses by Halifax Regional Police chief J.M. Blais.

Human Rights Commission to meet with Police Complaints Commissioner to discuss carding

January 31, 2017

A quick update on the shameful practice of carding in Halifax. The Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission is looking into it, but it is early day.