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This document is archival in nature and is intended Le présent document a une valeur archivistique et for those who wish to consult archival documents fait partie des documents d’archives rendus made available from the collection of Public Safety disponibles par Sécurité publique Canada à ceux Canada. qui souhaitent consulter ces documents issus de sa collection. Some of these documents are available in only one official language. Translation, to be provided Certains de ces documents ne sont disponibles by Public Safety Canada, is available upon que dans une langue officielle. Sécurité publique request. Canada fournira une traduction sur demande. “THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN WITH US FOR AGES” A COMMUNITY-BASED ASSESSMENT OF POLICE CONTACT CARDING IN 31 DIVISION FINAL REPORT NOVEMBER 2014 "THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN WITH US FOR AGES -- I REMEMBER PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT CHANGING THIS WHEN I WAS A TEENAGER. NOTHING HAS CHANGED." – SURVEY RESPONDENT, 31 DIVISION LOGICALOUTCOMES C/O CENTRE FOR SOCIAL INNOVATION 720 BATHURST STREET TORONTO, ON CANADA - M5S 2R4 [email protected] 1-674-478-5634 2 CAPP TABLE OF CONTENTS 4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 64 RECOMMENDATIONS 6 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 67 FINAL REPORT APPENDICES 9 LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES APPENDIX A: The Police Are Going To Get A Backlash 10 NOTE ON TERMINOLOGY APPENDIX B: CAPP Community Advisory Committee Terms of Reference 14 INTRODUCTION: WHAT IS THIS STUDY ABOUT? APPENDIX C: Ethics Certificate From The Community 1.1 Study objectives Research Ethics Office 1.2 What Do We Know About Contact Carding? Numbers, Patterns and Controversies APPENDIX D: CAPP Survey Questionnaire 21 METHODOLOGY: WHAT METHODS DID WE USE TO ANSWER OUR QUESTIONS? 2.1 CAPP’s Research Approach 2.2 Survey Research Design and Questionnaire 2.3 Survey Sampling Approach 31 FINDINGS: WHAT DID WE LEARN FROM THE SURVEY? 3.1 Respondents’ Characteristics 3.2 Experiences of Respondents Who Have Been Carded 3.3 Experiences of Respondents Who Have Been Recently Carded (after June 2014) 3.4 Perspectives on Police Carding Practices in 31 Division 3.5 Perceptions of Racial Profiling 3.6 Perceptions of Police in 31 Division: Trust, Power and Respect 3.7 Satisfaction with Policing in 31 Division 3.8 Awareness of the New Community Contacts Policy 3.9 Concerns about Police-Community Relationships 51 FURTHER ELABORATIONS: AN IN-DEPTH DISCUSSION OF THE SURVEY 4.1. Policy Compliance Issues 4.2 Community Unawareness of the Policy 4.3 Racial Profiling and Carding 4.4 Non-Reporting of Crime and Other Impacts of Carding 58 FINAL THOUGHTS 5.1 Community Perspectives On Police-Community Relations 5.2 Limitations Of The Study 5.3 Future Opportunities For Community-Based Research FINAL REPORT 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT OF POLICE PRACTICES (CAPP) was a community based research project conducted over the summer of 2014. On behalf of CAPP, I would like to thank everyone who contributed to this study. I would like to especially thank the 400-plus residents of 31 Division who participated in the survey interviews. We thank you for trusting us and sharing personal stories regarding your interactions with the Toronto Police Service. The history of this community’s struggle for equitable policing in 31 Division is long. We must acknowledge the efforts of residents, organizations, activists, community leaders, researchers and advocates – both past and present – who have worked tirelessly to achieve just treatment from the Toronto Police Service. This report is another contribution to this struggle. Particular gratitude is extended to the members of the CAPP Community Advisory Committee who contributed to the project. Your commitment and support played a key role in achieving CAPP’s research objectives, and your extensive knowledge of the community was useful in helping to refine the methodology. Also, a special thank you to CAPP’s 23 youth research assistants. Community-based research relies upon the collection of quality data. For this we owe enormous gratitude to each and every youth research assistant who canvassed neighbourhoods across 31 Division in order to engage survey respondents. I would like to extend deep and sincere thanks to the entire CAPP research team. In particular, I would like to acknowledge the contributions of Dr. Uzo Anucha, Alexander Lovell, Chris Williams, Adanna Anucha, Talisha Ramsaroop, Henry Appiah, Vineeth Sekharan, Cauldrick Maloney, Rebecca Houwer and Anita Sekharan. It is due to your collective wisdom, expertise and commitment that this study was completed over such a short period of time. This study was largely inspired by the Morris Justice Project conducted in New York City. We acknowledge Drs. Brett Stoudt and Maria Elena Torre for their suggestions and support. 4 CAPP Thanks are also extended to LogicalOutcomes team members Dr. Gillian Kerr, Brian Cugelman, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Sara Gaudon and Shamara Baidoobonso. Lastly, I would like to thank the Toronto Police Services Board for funding this study. It is hoped that these findings, which give voice to a community’s concerns, ideas and demands for improved police-community relations, will be helpful in your efforts to revise the Community Contacts Policy. Neil Price Project Director Community Assessment of Police Practices November 2014 FINAL REPORT 5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY DURING THE SUMMER OF 2014, the Community Assessment of Police Practices (CAPP) research project surveyed over 400 community members across 31 Division in order to determine community satisfaction with policing during the June to August, 2014 time period, measure the impact of the Community Contacts policy, and make recommendations for changes or improvements to the Community Contacts policy. We canvassed high-traffic areas throughout six neighbourhoods in 31 Division, and we targeted our survey dissemination throughout Toronto Community Housing communities and via an online survey. Guided by a community advisory committee, CAPP also held two community forums in 31 Division to allow members of the community to respond to the research, and to propose solutions that could improve police- community relations. Through our research, we learned that very few members of the public are aware of the new policy or the formal procedures involved in ‘carding’. We also learned that there is widespread dissatisfaction with the way that police interact with members of the community. In general, the level of trust in the police is low and many participants expressed negative views regarding the police. For example, a large number of respondents believe that police regularly abuse their power. In addition, there is a view that police racially profile members of the community. Compellingly, this belief was identified among both racialized and non-racialized groups. While a significant number of respondents identify small improvements in the relationship between police and community residents since June 2014, roughly 40% still feel that the relationship between police and the community is poor. The status quo with respect to policing in 31 Division is unacceptable by any measure. Reflecting findings from the research, as well as recommendations from the public provided during the community forums, this report puts forward the following 10 recommendations for the Toronto Police Service Board with respect to (1) the implementation of the Community Contacts Policy and (2) certain means by which police-community relations in 31 Division can be improved. 6 CAPP EXECUTIVE SUMMARY RECOMMENDATIONS Recommendations regarding Community Contacts Policy revision: 1. Institute a ban on the carding of minors On the basis of policy compliance issues related to right-to-leave protocols, as well as the psychological impact of carding on children, the practice of carding minors should be terminated immediately. 2. Revise current carding categories With the new emphasis on the need for carding to be carried out for valid public safety reasons, carding categories that are vague and highly subjective (e.g. “general investigation,” “loitering,” “suspicious activity,” etc.) should be eliminated. 3. Purge all pre-policy contact cards From a logical and practical standpoint, the millions of contact cards filled out prior to the approval date of the Community Contacts Policy (April 24, 2014) could not have been completed in compliance with the policy and should therefore be entirely purged. 4. Impose a 24 month retention limit on post-policy contact cards Contact card entries are used for employment background check purposes within the Toronto Police Service and beyond. In order to reduce the potentially negative impact of contact cards on the employment prospects of carded individuals, contact card entries should not be retained for more than 24 months. Recommendations concerning improved community engagement: 5. Develop a policy compliance checklist that can be reviewed and published quarterly The TPSB should create and administer an accessible evaluation tool in the form of a checklist or mini-survey that could be administered on a quarterly basis. Results from this evaluation would provide the TPSB and the public with a regular “snapshot” concerning Toronto Police Service compliance with set policy. This tool could take the form of a 10 question online survey administered by community agencies. While extensive research projects like CAPP are essential in assessing police-community relations over the long-term, it is also important to have more timely research initiatives which respond rapidly to community concerns about policing.