Toronto's top cop apologizes to Black community for 'systemic discrimination' in policing
Author of the article:Scott Laurie
Scott Laurie
Publishing date:Jun 15, 2022 • 11 hours ago • 2 minute read • 193 Comments
Toronto’s top cop apologizes to Black community for ‘systemic discrimination’ in policing
Interim Toronto Police Chief James Ramer apologized to the city’s Black community after data from 2020 showed members of that community are far more like to be subject to use of force by officers.
“There is systemic discrimination in our policing,” Chief Ramer said. “As an organization, we have not done enough to ensure that every person in our city receives fair and unbiased policing.”
A review of 949 interactions with police in 2020 showed that Black people are 2.2 times more likely to experience an enforcement interaction with officers.
They are also 1.6 times more likely to experience force, once involved in an enforcement interaction.
“As chief of police and on behalf of the service, I am sorry. And I apologize unreservedly,” Ramer said.
“There is a disproportionate impact experienced by racialized communities, and particularly those in the Black community,” he added.
Saying the police have been “gas lighting” the Black community for years, members of the No Pride in Policing Coalition said the community never asked for an apology.
“That apology was for the rank and file. That apology wasn’t for us,” said Beverly Bain of the coalition. “It is his rank and file that visits the violence on us every day in our neighbourhoods, on the streets, in our communities.”
Desmond Cole, also of the coalition, said he wonders what approach a new chief will take once Ramer, who is slated to retire later this year, is replaced.
“We are not here to acknowledge this apology. We did not ask for this apology,” said Cole, adding that he considers the best solution “defunding this police force and reallocating their resources so they can’t hurt us like this anymore.”
Ramer said a lot of work needs to be done to gain the trust of some citizens.
“We have often heard from communities that apologies alone are not sufficient — and we agree,” the he said.
In a statement, Mayor John Tory said the findings were “not acceptable and that is why we are committed to the reforms underway to make sure everyone in our city receives fair and unbiased policing.”
The Toronto Police Association said the “disappointing” data raises more questions than answers.
“More than 90% of all use-of-force incidents were the result of a reactive policing encounter, meaning our officers responded to a call for service, more than half being violent calls for service,” TPA said.
“The data does not reflect the totality of each engagement because there is no context given to the circumstance or individual officers were faced with.”
slaurie@postmedia.com
Twitter: @_ScottLaurie
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Scott Laurie
Scott Laurie
Publishing date:Jun 15, 2022 • 11 hours ago • 2 minute read • 193 Comments
Toronto’s top cop apologizes to Black community for ‘systemic discrimination’ in policing
Interim Toronto Police Chief James Ramer apologized to the city’s Black community after data from 2020 showed members of that community are far more like to be subject to use of force by officers.
“There is systemic discrimination in our policing,” Chief Ramer said. “As an organization, we have not done enough to ensure that every person in our city receives fair and unbiased policing.”
A review of 949 interactions with police in 2020 showed that Black people are 2.2 times more likely to experience an enforcement interaction with officers.
They are also 1.6 times more likely to experience force, once involved in an enforcement interaction.
“As chief of police and on behalf of the service, I am sorry. And I apologize unreservedly,” Ramer said.
“There is a disproportionate impact experienced by racialized communities, and particularly those in the Black community,” he added.
Saying the police have been “gas lighting” the Black community for years, members of the No Pride in Policing Coalition said the community never asked for an apology.
“That apology was for the rank and file. That apology wasn’t for us,” said Beverly Bain of the coalition. “It is his rank and file that visits the violence on us every day in our neighbourhoods, on the streets, in our communities.”
Desmond Cole, also of the coalition, said he wonders what approach a new chief will take once Ramer, who is slated to retire later this year, is replaced.
“We are not here to acknowledge this apology. We did not ask for this apology,” said Cole, adding that he considers the best solution “defunding this police force and reallocating their resources so they can’t hurt us like this anymore.”
Ramer said a lot of work needs to be done to gain the trust of some citizens.
“We have often heard from communities that apologies alone are not sufficient — and we agree,” the he said.
In a statement, Mayor John Tory said the findings were “not acceptable and that is why we are committed to the reforms underway to make sure everyone in our city receives fair and unbiased policing.”
The Toronto Police Association said the “disappointing” data raises more questions than answers.
“More than 90% of all use-of-force incidents were the result of a reactive policing encounter, meaning our officers responded to a call for service, more than half being violent calls for service,” TPA said.
“The data does not reflect the totality of each engagement because there is no context given to the circumstance or individual officers were faced with.”
slaurie@postmedia.com
Twitter: @_ScottLaurie
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Toronto's top cop apologizes to Black community for 'systemic discrimination' in policing
Toronto’s Black residents received an apology from the city’s interim police chief on Wednesday as the force released race-based data.