'Carding,' or random street checks, under review by Edmonton police
Will address concerns of practice at news conference Friday morning
The Edmonton Police Service is reviewing its controversial street-check policy.
Insp. Dan Jones is scheduled to speak to reporters about the review and how street checks, commonly known as carding, work in Edmonton.
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Police also invited community representatives to give reporters their views.
In a CBC News investigative report in September aboriginal leaders and lawyers called for stricter limits to be placed on city police conducting street checks.
Each year, Edmonton police randomly stop, question and document tens of thousands of citizens who are not under arrest.
Street-check figures provided by Edmonton police showed between 2011 and 2014 officers stopped and documented an average 26,000 people per year. The information is stored indefinitely.
The Ontario government announced this week it will ban all random and arbitrary police stops. It will also set limits on how and when police can question and document citizens.
Alberta Justice Minister Kathleen Ganley said Thursday the province is unlikely to follow Ontario's lead.
Ganley said she has been in contact with Edmonton police Chief Rod Knecht and made contact with other police departments to make sure they are following police guidelines. EPS has also made contact with the Alberta Human Rights Commission to ensure "best practices" are used during street checks, Ganley said.