New Halifax police chief unsure about whether to use street checks

Halifax's incoming police chief says he'll need to meet with the city's black community before he decides what action he'll take on street checks.

However, Dan Kinsella said any random stop based on race is definitely illegal.

"There's charter issues and potential legal issues, so my position that the random stopping of individuals solely on their race or any other identifier is inappropriate," he said in a phone interview from Ottawa.

Kinsella is deputy chief of operations for the Hamilton Police Service, which at roughly 800 officers is a similar size to the Halifax force. He has worked for the force for 32 years and his experience includes being in charge of major investigations.

Halifax police have been dealing with the fallout of a study on street checks, which found that black people in the city are six more times likely to face random police stops.

Nova Scotia's justice minister has declared a moratorium on street checks while he reviews the issue.

Kinsella said gathering intelligence for investigations is a legitimate use of street checks, while stopping someone based on race alone is not.

He said he doesn't have a plan of attack to address street checks when he takes up his position on July 1.

Before making a decision, Kinsella said he needs to speak with the local black community.

"People have different lived experiences, so I'm looking forward to having that opportunity, and hearing from them, speaking to my colleagues within the police service, and then coming up with a plan that is going to respect everyone's rights and make sure that we're able to deliver on our policing requirements in Halifax," he said.

No promise of an apology

Halifax's board of police commissioners has called on Halifax police to apologize for how street checks have targeted the black community.

Kinsella wouldn't commit to saying sorry right away.

"Organizational apologies are very sensitive matters, and I'm open to the discussion and to see where we go as an organization with the community," he said.

Cycling and Cash

On the personal side, Kinsella said he's an avid cyclist, and has biked hundreds of kilometres for charity as part of the Hamilton Police Service bike team.

He said his current playlist contains everything from Taylor Swift to Johnny Cash, with a particular favourite being Cash's tune, I Walk the Line.