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Evidence of Black Racial Profiling by Canadian Police

Establishment Reels in Denial

by MGV Staff Report

The Toronto Star recently published its findings in an investigation into police profiling of Blacks to a lot of controversy in the city. The paper's analysis of police records showed clear evidence of racial profiling. Blacks or people of African background who make up 8.1 per cent of the city's population accounted for 23.3 per cent of the arrests, while whites with 62.7 per cent of the population had 58 per cent of the arrests. The most glaring evidence of racial profiling was in the number of blacks charged in after-the-fact offenses. More than a third (34 per cent) of all drivers charged with such things as failing to make a change of address on a license, driving without insurance or valid license, or driving while under suspension, were blacks. The Star also found that minor offenses, like simple drug possession, which ordinarily netted the offender a ticket to appear in court resulted, more often than not in the case of blacks, in arrests and booking at the police station. Blacks were also twice as often as whites to be held overnight for bail hearings.

The findings published by the Star in a series of articles beginning last October produced an initial posture of defense and denial from the institutional establishment. The issue was taken up in the provincial legislature by Alvin Curling, a prominent and only elected black politician. Mr. Curling called on the Conservative minister for public safety, Mr. Bob Runciman, to acknowledge the problem.

"Let me assure the minister there is a problem. ... Those problems go beyond the police and beyond the city limits... People in the black community want to walk home safely at night, but many are afraid.... They're afraid of being targeted by criminals and many are also afraid of the police. ... Speaking from experience, I can tell you parents are worried their kids will be unfairly targeted," Mr. Curling said.

The initially skeptical Runciman denied knowledge about unfair targeting of blacks by police, but declared willingness to 'study the issue more thoroughly before jumping to any conclusions.' He also promised to meet with community leaders to address the matter. "I understand there is a real concern," he is quoted by the Star, adding that if the problem is real, it should be "eradicated."

The minister's increasing positive response seemed to be influenced by the strong position of Lincoln Alexander, a black Canadian and former lieutenant-governor of Ontario, on the matter. Mr. Alexander, currently chair of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, had immediately following the Star publication, called for a meeting of stakeholders in the matter. "If Mr. Alexander believes there is some substance to the suggestions that have been released to the public..., I'm quite prepared, and this government's quite prepared, to sit down with not only Mr. Alexander but other people who have an interest in this subject to discuss it, to see if there is a real problem here," Runciman said.

However, not all politicians were as accommodating as Runciman.

"With respect to the suggestion of racial profiling, I don't believe it exists on an institutional level in this city," Mayor Mel Lastman had said. "But I will reserve further comment until I see all the facts."

The police were even less forthcoming. In an interview with the Star, chief Julian Fantino and his staff were defensive and evaded giving any direct answers to reporters' questions. The chief simply insisted, "We do not do racial profiling."

Following publication of the first story on October 19, Fantino issued a statement calling the report "flawed" and refused to give any interviews. Craig Bromell, head of the Toronto Police Association was even more angry in his own reaction, threatening to sue the newspaper and called for a public boycott of the Star.

However, both Bromell and Fantino were present for the November 25 summit of leading stakeholders organized by Lincoln Alexander. Also at the meeting were, Hon. Jean Augustine, the federal minister in charge of multiculturalism; Assistant Commissioner Ken Byrt of the R.C.M.P.; Hon.Robert Runciman, the Ontario Minister of Public Safety and Security; Toronto Mayor Mel Lastman; Chair of the Police Services Board, Norm Gardner; Bromley Armstrong, former Ontario Human Rights Commissioner; Commissioner Gwen Boniface of the O.P.P.; Thomas Kaye, President of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police; and David Mitchell, President of the Association of Black Law Enforcers.

At the beginning of the meeting, Mr. Alexander zeroed in on the critical issues on which they sought consensus, among them "zero tolerance for racism and racial profiling, ...; and support for community groups struggling to resolve these issues with police, including ensuring the voice of our youth is heard,..."

At the end Alexander declared it "a meeting of minds." But the overall tone of all statements can only be described as 'guarded'. Chief Fantino in his own statement said: "I am pleased we achieved consensus that a problem does exist, and that there must be zero tolerance for racism and all forms of discrimination in policing. But I am also pleased we reached consensus that the overwhelming majority of police in Toronto (and across the country) do their jobs ethically and professionally, because they feel they have all been unjustly portrayed as racists. We are committed to working together with community and those gathered today to resolve the issues and improve police /community relations."

Bromell boycotted the press conference following the closed door meeting and repudiated the consensus claimed by other participants. A statement he read to members of the Police Association said in part: "After Director Olsen and I heard the statement that was going to be made to the media by the committee, we told everyone in the room that we did not agree and would not take part in the press conference, then we left."