U of O issues new security policy after carding incident

The University of Ottawa has new rules for security officers wanting to demand identification that encouragethemto do it less often and inform people they have a right to refuse.

The changes come in the wake of an incident in June, when officers demanded to see identification from a black student on campus, Jamal Boyce, who was skateboarding at the time.

Boyce was handcuffed when he couldn't produce the identification and held until Ottawa police arrived.

The university has an independent investigator looking into the incident, but while the investigator completes their report, the schoolannounced interim changes to its security rules.

The new rules make clear the university doesn't want security officers routinely asking for identification.

"Identification must never be requested randomly and arbitrarily and should not be protection services' routine practice," reads the new regulations.

The rules set out situations like when someone asks officers for access to a lab or office space, needs medical assistance or is witness to an incident when asking for identification is acceptable.

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Officers must also inform people of their right to refuseand providetheir contact information topeople they interact with.

In addition to the new policies, the university also announced an updated complaint mechanism that allows people to complain directly to the school's director of protection services.