Anglais

Address racial bias in policing to stop carding, advocates say

Published

5 années ago

janvier 3, 2019

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Kofi Hope was sitting in a car outside a Mississauga nightclub with a few friends trying to decide if they should brave the cold and get in line, when he says several cops suddenly surrounded them with flashlights, demanding they get out of the vehicle.

“They kept saying to us, ‘we know one of you has the record. Who has the record? Who has the record?’ ” Hope, now 35, says of the incident about 15 years ago.

No one did. After looking at all of their IDs, searching them and the car, he says police let the young men go. Hope is not sure what the officers did with his information from that night. But he says he does know he’s been stopped multiple times and he’s not the only one.

“I think most young people of colour in the GTA have had those experiences,” says Hope, a senior policy adviser at non-profit think tank the Wellesley Institute and a Rhodes Scholar.

“It’s disempowering, it’s insulting, you feel unsafe.”

A 300-plus page independent review of street checks known as “carding” that dropped on New Year’s Eve has advocates calling for urgent changes, saying arbitrary and discriminatory street checks like what Hope describes cannot be stopped without measures to address racial bias in policing.

The report from Court of Appeal Justice Michael Tulloch includes a review of the province’s 2017 regulation on carding and concluded that random street checks should be banned as they have little impact on reducing crime and have caused significant damage to racialized communities, especially among youth.

It includes recommendations to clarify when police can stop to collect identifying information outside of an active investigation — including that there should be some suspicion based on objective and credible grounds justifying an inquiry.

“It’s not news to anyone who’s been doing this work, or advocating around carding,” Hope says of the report’s conclusions.

“The issue is not about carding, the issue is about racial bias in policing ” he adds. “Carding is just one manifestation.”

There has to be better training, oversight and accountability, Hope says, because “the consequence of having even a few officers with those views is hugely detrimental.”

Staff Sgt. Valerie Graham of the Peel Regional Police told the Star in an email she’s unable to comment specifically on Hope’s encounter. She said the service follows the provincial legislation on street checks.

“Peel Regional Police has never supported random arbitrary race-based stops of any kind, and if an officer was found to participate in such a stop, they would be disciplined,” she added.

Toronto police Const. Rob Reid told the Star on Monday he and his colleagues take the report “very seriously.”

In the report, Tulloch recommended further training for both front-line and supervising police officers on why the carding regulation was instituted, how it applies and what the legal basis for police stops are. The training should also include bias awareness, he wrote.

Asante Haughton, a 33-year-old peer support leader who says he’s been stopped by police so many times he’s lost count, agrees training is key.

“Just because a bias or a prejudice is there currently doesn’t mean that it’s going to sustain itself if we work intensely against it,” he said, adding carding breeds distrust, which can get in the way of solving actual crimes.

During his teen years living near Regent Park, he says he was stopped going to school, coming home from school, even in front of his own door. He says he’s been stopped at least 25 times, even though he’s never been arrested or involved with gangs.

Haughton knows his rights but says he still gives his info to police every time he’s asked.

“In the moment there’s just this feeling of danger and this feeling of powerlessness, and being hyper vigilant about what I say, what I do. What’s my body language? What’s my posture? Am I behaving in a way that could be perceived in a way that’s resisting or combative in some way?” he says.

“Because ultimately I’m trying to avoid the escalation of a police encounter.”

The report also outlines how officers should conduct and record such interactions, including that, as the regulation requires, the individual must be informed that providing identifying information is voluntary and that the officer must offer to provide a receipt for the interaction.

Tulloch said the person should also be told the specific reason the information is being requested, that the information may be recorded and stored in a police database and that some of the information, such as the person’s religion, is being requested to help eliminate systemic racism.

The 2017 regulation bans collecting identifying information if the stop is arbitrary or based on the person being part of a racialized group. Tulloch recommended this be expanded to include socio-economic status and other prohibited grounds of discrimination under the Ontario Human Rights Code.

Tulloch also recommends the data should be destroyed after five years at the most. That’s something Black Lives Matter Toronto co-founder Sandy Hudson was glad to see, but thinks it should go further.

“Five years is a long time to wait if it’s something that’s preventing you from getting a job,” she says. “Especially the retroactive stuff, can we just get rid of it? We know it’s been collected incorrectly.”

Hudson, like Hope, was happy to see Tulloch’s conclusion that random carding doesn’t serve an investigative purpose, but says it’s not news to communities who’ve been working on the issue.

“We so know this,” she says. “Right now what’s necessary is political will to actually address the racism that our communities are experiencing from the police.”

Sylvia Jones, Ontario minister of community safety and correctional services, has said in a statement the Progressive Conservative government will review Tulloch’s recommendations.

Repeated analyses by the Star of Toronto Police Service carding data have found Black people were more likely than white people to be stopped, questioned and documented in each of the city’s more than 70 patrol zones, and that the likelihood increased in areas that are predominantly white.

A report released mid-December by the Ontario Human Rights Commission into racial profiling and discrimination by Toronto police noted several instances where the Special Investigations Unit found no legal basis for the police to stop or detain Black civilians and heard from Black Torontonians about instances where they were arbitrarily stopped by police while walking or driving.

Toronto police suspended carding in 2015 and now, like all Ontario police forces, are governed by the provincial carding regulation.

Lawyer and community organizer Knia Singh, who has previously shared his experiences with carding with the Star, says he supports enhanced anti-bias training for police officers that involves members of the community who have experienced racial profiling and discrimination. He also wants to see increased oversight and stiffer penalties for police misconduct, saying there should be repercussions when an officer engages in discriminatory behaviour.

He said it is unfortunate that in 2019 resources are still having to be invested in researching these issues and undoing the damage done to communities and trust in police, rather than into crime prevention measures and positive community supports.

“The last line of defence is police officers themselves. Officers have to hold other officers to account,” Singh said. “All as we can do as a community is hope for the officers to make the right decision not to engage in practices of targeting and discrimination and report officers who do … we rely on them to keep us safe and that includes from people in the organization who pose a threat.”

With files from Jacques Gallant and Wendy Gillis

May Warren is a breaking news reporter based in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter: @maywarren11

Alyshah Hasham is a Toronto-based reporter covering crime and court. Follow her on Twitter: @alysanmati

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Anglais

Nostalgia and much more with Starburst XXXtreme

Published

3 années ago

août 10, 2021

admin

Get a taste of adventure with Starburst XXXtreme based on the legendary NetEnt Game. The nostalgic themes are sure to capture fans of the classic version as they get treated to higher intensity, better visuals, and features. The most significant element of the game is its volatility. Patience will not be an essential virtue considering the insane gameplay, and there is a lot of win potential involved. It retains the original makeup of the previous game while adding a healthy dose of adrenaline.

Starburst Visuals and Symbols

The game is definitely more conspicuous than before. The setting happens over a 5-reel, 3-row game grid with nine fixed win lines, which function if a succession from the left to the right reel is present. Only those players that that attain the highest win per bet line are paid. From a visual standpoint, the Starburst XXXtreme slots illustrates lightning effects behind the reels, which is not surprising as it is inherited from the original version. Available themes include Classic, Jewels, and Space. The game is also available in both desktop and mobile versions, which is advantageous for players considering the global pandemic. According to Techguide, American gamers are increasingly having more engaging gaming experiences to socialize to fill the gap of in-person interaction. Starburst XXXtreme allows them to fill the social void at a time when there is so much time to be had indoors.

Starburst XXXTreme Features

Players get to alternate on three features which are Starburst Wilds, XXXtreme Spins, and Random Wilds. The first appears on reels 2,3, or 4. When these land, they expand to cover all positions while also calculating the wins. They are also locked for a respin. If a new one hits, it also becomes locked while awarding another respin. Starburst XXXtreme offers a choice between two scenarios for a higher stake. In one scenario with a ten times stake, the Starburst Wild is set on random on reels 2,3, or 4, and a multiplier starts the respin. The second scenario, which has a 95 times stake, starts with two guaranteed starburst wilds on reels 2,3, or 4. it also plays out using respin game sequence and features. The game also increases the potential with the Random Wilds feature to add Starburst Wilds to a vacant reel at the end of a spin. Every Starburst Wild gives a random multiplier with potential wins of x2, x3, x5, x10, x25, x50, x100, or even x150.

The new feature is sure to be a big hit with the gaming market as online gambling has shown significant growth during the lockdown. AdAge indicates the current casino customer base is an estimated one in five Americans, so Starburst XXXtreme’s additional features will achieve considerable popularity.

What We Think About The Game

The gambling market has continued to diversify post-pandemic, so it is one of the most opportune times to release an online casino-based game. Thankfully Starburst XXXtreme features eye-catching visuals, including the jewels and space themes. These attract audience participation and make the gameplay inviting. The game also has a nostalgic edge. The previous NetEnt iteration featured similar visuals and gameplay, so the audience has some familiarity with it. The producers have revamped this version by tweaking the features to improve the volatility and engagement.

That is characterized by the potential win cap of 200,000 times the bet. Starburst XXXtreme does not just give betting alternatives for players that want to go big. The increase of multipliers also provides a great experience. If the respins in the previous version were great, knowing that multipliers can go hundreds of times overtakes the game to a new level.

Players should get excited about this offering. All of the features can be triggered within a single spin. Whether one plays the standard game or takes the XXXtreme spin route, it is possible to activate all of the features. Of course, the potential 200,000 times potential is a huge carrot. However, the bet size is probably going to be restricted and vary depending on the casino. It is also worth pointing out that a malfunction during the gameplay will void all of the payouts and progress. Overall, the game itself has been designed to provide a capped win of 200,000 times the original bet.

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Anglais

‘We’re back’: Montreal festival promoters happy to return but looking to next year

Published

3 années ago

juillet 23, 2021

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In downtown Montreal, it’s festival season.

In the city’s entertainment district, a musical act was conducting a sound check on stage Friday evening — the second day of the French-language version of the renowned Just For Laughs comedy festival. Tickets for many of the festival’s free outdoor shows — limited by COVID-19 regulations — were sold out.

Two blocks away, more than 100 people were watching an acoustic performance by the Isaac Neto Trio — part of the last weekend of the Festival International Nuits d’Afrique, a celebration of music from the African continent and the African diaspora.

With COVID-19 restrictions continuing to limit capacity, festival organizers say they’re glad to be back but looking forward to next year when they hope border restrictions and capacity limits won’t affect their plans.

Charles Décarie, Just For Laughs’ CEO and president, said this is a “transition year.”

“Even though we have major constraints from the public health group in Montreal, we’ve managed to design a festival that can navigate through those constraints,” Décarie said.

The French-language Juste pour rire festival began on July 15 and is followed by the English-language festival until July 31.

When planning began in February and March, Décarie said, organizers came up with a variety of scenarios for different crowd sizes, ranging from no spectators to 50 per cent of usual capacity.

“You’ve got to build scenarios,” he said. “You do have to plan a little bit more than usual because you have to have alternatives.”

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Anglais

MELS new major movie studio to be built in Montreal

Published

3 années ago

juillet 23, 2021

admin

MONTREAL — MELS Studios will build a new film studio in Montreal, filling some of the gap in supply to meet the demand of Hollywood productions.

MELS president Martin Carrier said on Friday that MELS 4 studio construction will begin « as soon as possible », either in the fall or winter of next year. The studio could host productions as early as spring 2023.

The total investment for the project is $76 million, with the Quebec government contributing a $25 million loan. The project will create 110 jobs, according to the company.

The TVA Group subsidiary’s project will enable it to stand out « even more » internationally, according to Quebecor president and CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau. In the past, MELS Studios has hosted several major productions, including chapters of the X-Men franchise. The next Transformers movie is shooting this summer in Montreal.

Péladeau insisted that local cultural productions would also benefit from the new facility, adding that the studio ensures foreign revenues and to showcase talent and maintain an industry of Quebec producers.

STUDIO SHORTAGE

The film industry is cramped in Montreal.

According to a report published last May by the Bureau du cinéma et de la télévision du Québec (BCTQ), there is a shortage of nearly 400,000 square feet of studio space.

With the addition of MELS 4, which will be 160,000 square feet, the company is filling part of the gap.

Carrier admitted that he has had to turn down contracts because of the lack of space, representing missed opportunities of « tens of millions of dollars, not only for MELS, but also for the Quebec economy. »

« Montreal’s expertise is in high demand, » said Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante, who was present at the announcement.

She said she received great testimonials from « Netflix, Disney, HBO and company » during an economic mission to Los Angeles in 2019.

« What stands out is that they love Montreal because of its expertise, knowledge and beauty. We need more space, like MELS 4, » she said.

There is still not enough capacity in Quebec, acknowledged Minister of Finance, the Economy and Innovation Eric Girard.

« It is certain that the government is concerned about fairness and balance, so if other requests come in, we will study them with the same seriousness as we have studied this one, » he said.

Grandé Studios is the second-largest player in the industry. Last May, the company said it had expansion plans that should begin in 2022. Investissement Québec and Bell are minority shareholders in the company.

For its part, MELS will have 400,000 square feet of production space once MELS 4 is completed. The company employs 450 people in Quebec and offers a range of services including studio and equipment rentals, image and sound postproduction, visual effects and a virtual production platform.