Policing a World Within a City: the Race Relations Initiatives of the Toronto Police Service
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
POLICING A WORLD WITHIN A CITY: The Race Relations Initiatives of the Toronto Police Service January 2003 Toronto Police Service Mission Statement: We are dedicated to delivering police services, in partnership with our communities, to keep Toronto the best and safest place to be. Core Values: · Honesty: We are truthful and open in our interactions with each other and with members of our communities. · Integrity: We are honourable, trustworthy, and strive to do what is right. · Fairness: We treat everyone in an impartial, equitable, sensitive and ethical manner. · Respect: We value ourselves, each other, and members of our communities, showing understanding and appreciation for our similarities and differences. · Reliability: We are conscientious, professional, responsible, and dependable in our dealings with each other and our communities. · Team Work: We work together within the Service and with members of our communities to achieve our goals, making use of diverse skills, abilities, roles and views. · Positive Attitude: We strive to bring positive and constructive influences to our dealings with each other and our communities. Policing a World Within a City: The Race Relations Initiatives of the Toronto Police Service Table of Contents Mission Statement and Core Values Foreword by Chief of Police Julian Fantino Executive Summary Section “A”: Historic Overview ........................................................................ 3 The Evolution of Modern Toronto ...................................................................... 3 Demographic and Socio-economic Impacts on Policing in Toronto.................... 4 The Development of the Toronto Police Service................................................ 8 Community Consultative Process...................................................................... 11 Previous Reports Impacting Race Relations...................................................... 14 The Advent of a Race Relations Policy.............................................................. 18 Implementation of the Race Relations Policy – The Moving Forward Together Process ............................................................................................................. 18 Section “B”: Methodology of the Review ........................................................ 29 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 29 Methodology of the Review ............................................................................... 30 Internal Communication..................................................................................... 35 Community Consultation ................................................................................... 35 Communication Strategy ................................................................................... 44 Monitoring & Audit Process ............................................................................... 46 Annual Race Relations Report to the Police Services Board ............................. 46 Section “C”: Operational Model ....................................................................... 47 Race Relations Co-ordinating Committee.......................................................... 47 Human Resources............................................................................................. 48 Training & Education ......................................................................................... 50 Community Policing Support ............................................................................. 53 Corporate Communications............................................................................... 58 Professional Standards ..................................................................................... 60 Table of Contents, Continued Section “D”: Service Delivery........................................................................... 63 Community Policing........................................................................................... 64 Service Delivery (Specialized Units) .................................................................. 65 Service Delivery (The Front Line) ...................................................................... 74 Core Business and Service Priorities................................................................. 79 International Initiatives....................................................................................... 81 Inventory of Unit Initiatives by Command........................................................... 83 Enhancing Field Command Activities ................................................................ 96 Practical Community Supports for TPS Activities............................................... 97 Other Factors Supporting or Impacting On Service Delivery.............................. 99 Racial Profiling .................................................................................................. 99 Section “E”: Recommendations – Equal Opportunity Consultants 103 Section “F”: Recommendations – First Nations Consulting Inc. 146 Section “G”: Recommendations – Metropolitan Auditor 196 Section “H”: Recommendations – Race Relations & Policing Task Force 280 Section “I”: Recommendations – National Black Police Association 294 Section “J”: Recommendations – Commission on Systemic Racism 303 Policing a World Within a City: The Race Relations Initiatives of the Toronto Police Service Foreword by Chief of Police Julian Fantino For some years Toronto has been recognized as being the most diverse city in the world. It is a place where people from a myriad of backgrounds and cultures live, work and play in relative safety and harmony. To their credit this is in no small measure due to the ongoing efforts of the men and women of the Toronto Police Service who truly are Policing A World Within A City. Since its inception in 1957, the Toronto Police Service has not only enjoyed an enviable reputation as a professional organization but also the support of the overwhelming majority of citizens. Furthermore, the relationship between its members and the public it serves is the single most important factor in its success. Accordingly, public support is the Service’s most cherished asset. Recent controversy has served to remind everyone of the fragile nature of this relationship and how potentially divisive allegations of racial bias can be. Unfortunately, even the perception of such bias has put in question the relationship between some segments of society and the police. Nevertheless, I remain steadfastly confident that systemic racism does not exist within the Toronto Police Service. I am convinced that the vast majority of police officers undertake their sworn duties in exemplary fashion. Indeed, throughout my tenure as Chief of Police I have been consistently uncompromising in my expectations regarding the utmost in professional conduct. With respect to racism, I have been equally unequivocal. At the same time I acknowledge that, as human beings, we are not infallible. Nonetheless, where inappropriate behaviour is discovered, it is dealt with firmly, fairly and within the scope of the law. Simply put, I will not tolerate any manifestation of discriminatory conduct including racism on the part of any member of this Service. Moreover, in my opinion Policing A World Within A City – The Race Relations Initiatives of the Toronto Police Service report is testament to the Service’s exemplary record of performance in the field of race relations. While it is not exhaustive, this report presents an inventory of the highlights of race relations initiatives undertaken by the Service which are indicative of the degree of involvement between Service members and the community. This report also illustrates the accomplishments and responsiveness of our organization towards the issue, including recommendations for change, throughout the years. It is self-evident that by any standards the Service has been an innovator in the vanguard of police race relations for at least a quarter of a century. As Chief of Police I am determined to ensure that the Toronto Police Service continues to promote and foster positive relationships with all citizens in all of the communities in the City of Toronto. 1 Policing a World Within a City: The Race Relations Initiatives of the Toronto Police Service Executive Summary This report was prepared at the direction of Chief of Police Julian Fantino with the co-operation and involvement of senior officers and members from all commands of the Toronto Police Service. Statistics Canada has referred to Toronto as “a world within a city”. Policing a richly multicultural and multiracial environment can be very rewarding, but can also present challenges for a police organization that is dedicated to delivering effective services to all stakeholders equally. This report outlines the most significant efforts made by the Toronto Police Service to ensure that it can meet these challenges. The report is divided into ten sections, as follows: Section A: Historic Overview – This section provides the background for Policing a World Within a City. The reader is given a sense of how the City of Toronto has changed since 1953. The section outlines: · the population growth and demographic expansion within the city (the population is both higher and significantly more racially and ethnically diverse than it was when Metropolitan Toronto was created in 1953) · the evolution of