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| Toronto police use more force against ethnic minorities - report | |
| (25 days later) | |
| Chief Ramer apologised as he revaled the new data | Chief Ramer apologised as he revaled the new data |
| Black people are two times as likely to have an interaction with Toronto police, and 1.6 times as likely to have force used on them, a report has found. | Black people are two times as likely to have an interaction with Toronto police, and 1.6 times as likely to have force used on them, a report has found. |
| The report from Canada's largest municipal force confirmed longstanding concerns ethnic minorities are disproportionately targeted by police. | |
| Police Chief James Ramer apologised on Wednesday for the "pain" caused by the evidence of biased policing. | Police Chief James Ramer apologised on Wednesday for the "pain" caused by the evidence of biased policing. |
| "There is systemic discrimination in our policing," he said. | "There is systemic discrimination in our policing," he said. |
| The expansive statistics released today were drawn from 949 use-of-force incidents and 7,114 strip searches by Toronto police in 2020. | The expansive statistics released today were drawn from 949 use-of-force incidents and 7,114 strip searches by Toronto police in 2020. |
| The report found that black, indigenous, Middle Eastern and Asian Torontonians were over-represented in both use-of-force incidents and strip searches relative to their total population in the Canadian city. | The report found that black, indigenous, Middle Eastern and Asian Torontonians were over-represented in both use-of-force incidents and strip searches relative to their total population in the Canadian city. |
| The racial disparities remain regardless of the reason for calls or what the main offence turned out to be. Race was the only major observable variable. | The racial disparities remain regardless of the reason for calls or what the main offence turned out to be. Race was the only major observable variable. |
| Police also tended to use a higher degree of force against those residents compared to white people, especially when it came to drawing firearms. | Police also tended to use a higher degree of force against those residents compared to white people, especially when it came to drawing firearms. |
| Black, South Asian and East/South Asian people were much more likely - 1.5 times, 1.6 times and two times, respectively - to have an officer point a firearm at them during a police interaction, whether they were perceived as armed or unarmed. | Black, South Asian and East/South Asian people were much more likely - 1.5 times, 1.6 times and two times, respectively - to have an officer point a firearm at them during a police interaction, whether they were perceived as armed or unarmed. |
| "As chief of police and on behalf of the people, I am sorry and I apologise unreservedly," Chief Ramer said on Wednesday. | "As chief of police and on behalf of the people, I am sorry and I apologise unreservedly," Chief Ramer said on Wednesday. |
| The apology was rejected by advocate Beverly Bain, from the No Pride in Policing group. | The apology was rejected by advocate Beverly Bain, from the No Pride in Policing group. |
| "Chief Ramer, we do not accept your apology," she said, calling the news conference a "public relations stunt". | "Chief Ramer, we do not accept your apology," she said, calling the news conference a "public relations stunt". |
| The release of data this week follows several recent reports from human rights and police watchdogs that have called for reforms within the police service following some high-profile incidents. | The release of data this week follows several recent reports from human rights and police watchdogs that have called for reforms within the police service following some high-profile incidents. |
| Last year, a Ontario Human Rights Commission report found that black people were "grossly over-represented" in terms of arrests, charges and over-charges by the Toronto Police Service, and more likely to be struck, shot or killed. | Last year, a Ontario Human Rights Commission report found that black people were "grossly over-represented" in terms of arrests, charges and over-charges by the Toronto Police Service, and more likely to be struck, shot or killed. |
| On Wednesday, Toronto police also released 38 actions the force said will help address the racial discrimination in use-of-force and strip searches, including a series of upcoming town halls. | On Wednesday, Toronto police also released 38 actions the force said will help address the racial discrimination in use-of-force and strip searches, including a series of upcoming town halls. |
| Race-based policing data began to be collected by the force following a 2019 directive by the provincial government's anti-racism act. | Race-based policing data began to be collected by the force following a 2019 directive by the provincial government's anti-racism act. |