A report on the Repentigny police shows black people in the community are 2.5 to three times more likely to be arrested than their fellow white residents. The local police force plans to take action.
MONTREAL A legal clinic is hoping to cut down on racial profiling by teaching Repentigny s minority groups about their rights. Alain Babineau, a former RCMP officer-turned social justice advocate, is behind the project, saying the most powerful tool a Person of Colour has when stopped by police is knowing their rights. “It s really important that folks feel empowered because, automatically, there s a power imbalance with cops,” he said. Repentigny police have been criticized repeatedly in the past for allegedly racially profiling. Last year, Quebec s Human Rights Commission ruled that the city should pay $35,000 in restitution to a victim of racial profiling and implement anti-profiling training. The police force recently launched a one-year initiative aimed at making their ranks more inclusive.