Members’ interactions with persons in the community are recognized to be critical to fulfilling their policing duties. In recent years, across Canada, there has been some attention on the police practice of Street Checks. The changes to the practice of Street Checks are part of broader efforts by the BC Police Services Division to promote unbiased policing.
One of those efforts was the issuance of a BC Provincial Policing Standards (BCPPS) on Police Stops at the beginning of 2020, which includes the practice of Street Checks. These new Policing Standards have redefined Police Stops and provided guidelines for police agencies across BC. More info can be found here .
The Abbotsford Police Department fully supports the initiatives put forward by the BC Police Services Division and recognizes the responsibility of police officers to ensure that their interactions with the community members are consistent with these Policing Standards. We have taken the necessary steps to ensure our practices align with these Policing Standards including changes in how we document our interactions with the public, which will be reflected in future stat reports.
Here you will find past Street Check statistics from 2008-2019 - 2020 update to follow.