Racial-profiling stories sought in Quebec

Quebec's Human Rights Commission will gather personal stories ofracial profiling in the province in hopes of trying to remedy the problem.

The commission says it wants to give young Quebecers from minoritygroupsa chance to describe their experiences, whetherat school, with police, youth protection officials or the general public.

Racial profiling exists and must be openly discussed to find solutions, Francois Larsen, the commission's director of research and education, said Thursday.

The commission has received more than 100 complaints about racial profiling since the mid-1990s.

"We're not really tackling the issue properly," Larsen said. "From what we've heard from community groups the issue of discrimination seems to be present in many aspects of public life beyond the police."

The commission is asking the public, specifically young Quebecers, to come forward.

Young people are the future of their communities, Larsen said. "And statistics from all over the world show that young people are more at risk of being profiled. Also, when they are being profiled also it has an effect on their impressions of the institutions of the state."

Hot-button issue

Fo Niemi, co-founder and executive director of the Centre for Research-Action on Race Relations, welcomed theconsultation.

From thegrowing number of complaints the group has received, it is clearracial profiling has become institutionalized in Quebec, Niemi said, although officials are reluctant to acknowledge it.

"A consultation of this nature would allow to help bring forth all these stories and anecdotal evidence to establish the case and a pattern, in order to move forward to a greater acknowledgement of the problem and an acknowledgement about the need to do something about the problem."

Niemi's centreis calling for moretraining and stricter sanctions against racial profiling within Quebec institutions, particularly police forces.

Concerns about racial profiling by police grew after police shot 18-year old Fredy Villanueva last year in Montreal North. Theshooting provoked riots in the working-class neighbourhood.

The case is being examined by a coroner's inquest.

The commission said it willalso welcome testimony from parents, teachers and others who have seen racialprofiling. Community groups also will be invited to propose solutions. All of the information received will be confidential, but anonymous information won't be accepted.

The consultation is expected to include public hearings in the spring. A final report may be tabled early next year.