Thank you.
I wish there wasn't a need for us to have this publication. It is our most widely requested publication, because there is a real power imbalance between individuals and the police, especially when people are members of marginalized and over-policed communities. Those communities tend to be subject to extra and disproportionate surveillance by police and the state.
People need to know their rights. When they don't, it facilitates abuses of power by police. Unfortunately, police frequently do not respect charter rights. They may engage in excessive force or fail to follow court injunction orders or protocol, going beyond what is in their power. We see that happening disproportionately to people who are racialized, indigenous or from other marginalized communities.
In our new version of the arrest handbook, we include new sections for heavily policed communities. One of the biggest challenges in writing this handbook was this: It's a bit messed up to tell people, “These are your rights, but they very well might not be respected by the police. In fact, if you assert or stand up for your rights in this situation, it might make you more unsafe. It may expose you to more danger.”
A major problem we have is that existing mechanisms for police oversight and accountability are not working. They do not provide justice for individuals and communities harmed by policing. To protect everyone's freedom of expression, Canada needs to improve police accountability mechanisms, making them more independent, robust and timely.