A public inquiry into racial profiling and discrimination within the Toronto Police Service has been launched by the Ontario Human Rights Commission.

The inquiry is being described as a bold move that’s “markedly different” from any other in the history of the Ontario Human Rights Commission.

Chief Commissioner Renu Mandhane says the hope is to shift the long standing problem of racial profiling from anecdotal evidence to quantitative data that will poinpoint where racial disparities exist on a system level.

The commission will have the right to look at records and information from all areas of the Toronto Police Service to determine the disproportionate impact on black and other racialized communities during encounters with officers.

Earlier this year, the governing Liberals at Queen’s Park brought in new regulations that no longer allow for carding – the practice of stopping an individual for their identification without cause.