Halifax street-checks story nabs CBC national award nomination
A CBC Nova Scotia investigation on street checks in Halifax has been nominated for a Canadian Journalism Federation Jackman Award for Excellence in Journalism.
The story by Phlis McGregor, Angela MacIvor, Jack Julian, Kyah Sparks and Susan Allen was published July 9, 2017, and revealed black people were three times more likely to be street checked by police than white people.
The story is nominated in the small media category.
According to the news release issued by the Canadian Journalism Federation, the Jackman award recognizes news organizations "that embody exemplary journalism that impacts positively the communities they serve."
Debate over value of street checks
After the story was published, Nova Scotia's Human Rights Commission hired a criminologist to address allegations of racial profiling in the context of street checks.
Halifax police have said street checks are used to record suspicious activity. Although police stop and question people, the checks can also be "passive," with information recorded based on observations rather than interactions.
Halifax Regional Police spokesperson Const. Carol McIsaac has said the force supports the work that is being done by an outside expert, Scot Wortley, on how the force uses street checks, and that they'll wait for those recommendations before making any changes.
