Ottawa police stopping Middle Eastern, black drivers at ‘disproportionate’ rate: report
York University researchers reviewed data from 81,902 traffic stops involving Ottawa residents
CBC News | October 24, 2016
Middle Eastern and black drivers — particularly young men — were far more likely to be stopped by Ottawa police than other drivers, according to a report analyzing two years of traffic stops.
A York University research team examined 81,902 traffic stops involving Ottawa residents from 2013 to 2015 where officers recorded their perception of the driver’s race, as well as their gender, age range, the reason for the stop and whether the stop resulted in charges.
The researchers found that police stopped drivers perceived to be Middle Eastern 10,066 times, or 12.3 per cent of the total stops.
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Ihsaan Gardee, the executive director of the National Council of Canadian Muslims, however, said the findings are “very concerning” and warrant further study.
“I think it has posed more questions than it’s actually answered,” said Gardee.