Community Engagement on OHRC 7 Principles

  Thank you graphic for participating.

Community participation is sought on measures to address systemic racism in Peel policing.

The Peel Regional Police (PRP), with its civilian governing body the Peel Police Services Board (PPSB), and the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) are holding community engagement meetings to get input on the measures required to address systemic racism in Peel policing as part of the Human Rights Project.
The community engagement process will help the PRP and OHRC identify needed changes and possible corrective actions that will become part of the PRP’s legally binding commitment. Anyone who lives or works in Brampton and/or Mississauga is welcome to participate in one of four online community engagement meetings:
March 28, April 7, April 13, April 19

Registration is open from March 14, 2022 to April 18, 2022

 

 

 FAQs on the OHRC’s 7 Principles

What is the OHRC’s Policy on eliminating racial profiling in law enforcement about?
In 2019 the OHRC launched the Policy on eliminating racial profiling in law enforcement (Policy) to provide guidance to law enforcement organizations and the Government of Ontario on preventing, identifying and responding to racial profiling, racial discrimination, harassment and other violations of the Human Rights Code (Code). 
What is racial profiling?
The OHRC defines racial profiling as any act or omission related to actual or claimed reasons of safety, security or public protection, by an organization or individual in a position of authority, that results in greater scrutiny, lesser scrutiny or other negative treatment based on race, colour, ethnic origin, ancestry, religion, place of origin or related stereotypes. PRP has a policy, entitled Racial Profiling/Bias Based Policing Procedure, but it does not feature the OHRC’s definition of racial profiling.
Why was the Policy on eliminating racial profiling in law enforcement created?

The OHRC’s 2017 consultation report, Under Suspicion, found that racial profiling is harmful, and has a profound negative impact on the everyday lives of Indigenous peoples, and Black and racialized communities.

The OHRC’s Policy, developed in 2019, builds on this earlier work by explaining the difference between racial profiling – which is prohibited under the Code – and legitimate criminal profiling. It also offers guidance on emerging concepts such as racial under-policing and the use of predictive policing and other artificial intelligence tools. The Policy outlines seven key principles for eliminating racial profiling and includes recommendations to law enforcement agencies, private security organizations, oversight bodies and government.
What are the seven key principles for governing positive change and respect for human rights in law enforcement?
  • Acknowledgement: Substantively acknowledging the reality of racial profiling, including the impact it has on individual and community well-being and trust in law enforcement, and recognizing the specific impact on Indigenous peoples and racialized communities and individuals
  • Engagement: Active and regular engagement with diverse Indigenous and racialized communities to obtain frank and open feedback on the lived experience of racial profiling and effective approaches to combatting it
  • Policy guidance: Adopting and implementing all appropriate standards, guidelines, policies and strict directives to address and end racial profiling in law enforcement
  • Data collection: Implementing race data collection and analysis for identifying and reducing disparity, and managing performance
  • Monitoring and accountability: Regularly monitoring racial profiling, and setting robust internal accountability mechanisms at the governance, management and operational levels
  • Organizational change: Implementing multi-faceted organizational change (for example, in relation to training, culture, hiring, incentive structures etc.) consistent with the OHRC’s guide Human rights and policing: Creating and sustaining organizational change
  • Multi-year action plan: Forming anti-racist action plans featuring initiatives geared toward achieving short- and long-term targets for advancing all of these principles.
Why is this OHRC’s seven key principles being used as a framework to implement positive change in the Peel Regional Police?
Under the Code, police services have an obligation to the public and people they serve to ensure that service delivery is fair and free from discriminatory practices. The OHRC’s seven key principles is one of several important tools to ensure that this happens, and has already received substantial community support as reported in the PRP’s 2021 survey results on policing in Peel.
The OHRC has studied, investigated and litigated racial profiling and policing issues for over 30 years. For example, in 2003, the OHRC released Paying the Price: The human cost of racial profiling, which featured first-hand accounts of racial profiling and recommendations on how best to prevent it. The OHRC published Under suspicion: Research and consultation report on racial profiling in Ontario in 2017, and in 2019 launched the Policy on racial profiling.
In 2021, the OHRC released its Framework for change to address systemic racism in policing, which includes essential steps for eliminating discriminatory practices from policing across the province.
Why are these meetings been hosted?
The PRP, in consultation with the OHRC, is hosting a series of Peel Region community meetings to get feedback from the community on their experiences with police and on their perceptions of policing in Peel. This consultation is part of the PRP’s Human Rights Project, a comprehensive organizational change project, designed address systemic racism and discrimination in Peel policing.
Does the PRP acknowledge systemic racism exists?
Yes, the PRP has publicly acknowledged that systemic racism exists in its service and is detrimental to the well-being of community members and to the quality of policing.
How do I participate?
Register online for one of the four sessions. For those unable to register online, please email us at humanrights@peelpolice.ca.
Will there be police officers present during these community sessions?
There will be police officers present at the community engagement sessions. Their role at the engagement session are as facilitators.
Will the engagement sessions be recorded
All engagement sessions will be recorded.
How will the PRP use information it receives in these sessions?
Feedback from participants in these sessions will be used by the PRP and OHRC to shape legally binding commitments the PRP will make to the OHRC and the community to institute changes in policies, procedures, tactics and behaviours in order to address and mitigate systemic racism.
Can we express concerns about negative or discriminatory treatment we have experienced with police?
All feedback is welcome. However the engagement sessions are designed to give community members an opportunity to provide feedback that will aid in the development of recommendations that will address systemic discrimination within PRP. The community engagement sessions are not the proper forum to address or seek a remedy for any experiences you have had with the police. Sharing your concerns at the engagement session will not start a legal proceeding. If you have concerns about a personal experience, consider whether it is necessary to consult with a lawyer or the Office of the Independent Police Review Director.

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View Community Survey Results

Human Rights Project survey results. Click on the image to view.

Click for raw data from the community survey

Note: Data is also available in the full survey report above.

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MOU - Memorandum of Understanding

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Anti-Racism Advisory Committee (ARAC)

The Peel Regional Police (PRP), Peel Police Services Board (PSB), and the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) are developing a comprehensive plan to identify and address systemic racism in Peel policing. An important part of this initiative is the formation of a diverse, independent Anti-Racism Advisory Committee (ARAC). The ARAC will inform and advise the PRP’s Human Rights project as it addresses a number of commitments to action systemic racism in the Peel Police.

The ARAC will be comprised of members who live and/or work in Brampton or Mississauga and who have diverse backgrounds and understanding of our community. To be effective, remain nimble, and efficient, it is expected that the ARAC will comprise 12-21 members and will be formed by May 2022. The work of the ARAC will contribute to fair and equitable policing throughout Peel Region, making our community better for all.

Prior to completing the application, we encourage you to read the frequently asked questions (FAQ) and the Terms of Reference (ToR) to get a better understanding of the application process and what is expected of you as an ARAC member.

The application, along with competency expectations, will be available online and can be submitted from February 22 until March 5, 2022.

If you have any questions or are unable to complete the application form online, please contact us: ARAC@peelpolice.ca.

ARAC Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the purpose of the Anti-Racism Committee (ARAC)?
The purpose of ARAC is to provide meaningful and thoughtful advice on the Human-Rights project undertaken by Peel Regional Police (PRP) to address systemic racism in the service. This includes advice and feedback on anti-racism practices and the impact of policing on diverse communities in the region, and on the implementation of finalized recommendations agreed with the Ontario Human Rights Commission within the boundaries of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Reference the ARAC ToR for additional details.

What are the timelines associated with the application process?
Application open: February 22, 2022
Application Close: March 5, 2022
ARAC application information session: February 24, 2022. Send email to ARAC@peelpolice.ca to register.
Selection process: March 7, 2022 to April 4, 2022
Invitation to successful candidates: April 5, 2022
First meeting (Orientation): May 10, 2022

How were the considerations and competency expectations on the ARAC application form created?
The initial content for the ARAC membership application was provided by the interim ARAC members. It was further refined with input from the Race-based data collection experts (Dr. Foster and Dr. Jacobs), interim ARAC representatives and, PRP.

Application Process

How does the selection process work?
Once the application submission process officially closes at 12:00 p.m. on March 5th , 2022, PRP will send copies of all submissions to the selection committee for review. The selection committee will meet, review, and evaluate each application to select up to twenty-one (21) candidates.

What to Expect After Submitting Your Application

Who is on the selection team?
The ARAC selection team is comprised of five persons as follows:
  • One PRP representative
  • Four representatives from the existing interim ARAC

How will I be notified if I am successful?
Once the selection process is complete, all applicants will be notified via email. If you are selected to represent ARAC, your term as a member of the ARAC will begin upon appointment and last for the duration of the Human Rights Project.

Will there be a background check if I am selected? 
Background checks and open-source checks will be conducted for all successful applicants. However, we will not necessarily utilize any information to exclude selected applicants.

Will there be an orientation process for selected committee members?
PRP will coordinate orientation for the selected ARAC members and there will be a formal kick-off meeting where we will discuss the Committee’s Terms of Reference in detail.

What happens to the current interim ARAC?
The interim ARAC was formed to assist with the selection of the final ARAC committee. Once the final 12-21 member ARAC committee is formed, the interim committee will be dissolved.

How will the applicants be evaluated?
Evaluation will be based on what you bring to the table. The selection team will also endeavour to ensure that the composition of ARAC, once formed reflects the diversity of the community, including, for example, race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, etc.

Will I be paid for being on the committee?
This is an unpaid, voluntary position.

Where can I see the ARAC Terms of Reference (ToR)?
View the ToR.

 

FAQs - Community Survey

What did you learn from the survey?
We learned there are many people in Peel Region who care deeply about the quality of policing in our community, and who feel strongly enough to take the time to share their views. Receiving more than 1,100 responses from community members, it is clear people in Peel are interested in policing in Peel and many have concerns relating to their perceptions of and experiences with police in Peel.

What specific findings are important?

Among those who took the survey, over half say policing in Peel needs to be reformed. We know systemic racism exists in the PRP. Specifically, the survey helps us understand the perceptions of people who had direct experience with the PRP within the last two years, compared to those who know someone who had a PRP interaction, and it in many cases it reveals substantially divergent views depending on the race of the respondent.
The survey results give us valuable insights into how Peel residents view public interactions with police. They give us direction into changes we need to make to address systemic racism and build public trust, such as more and better training, more diverse recruitment and hiring, and more accountability that is visible.

We also learned that over half the respondents see the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s seven guiding principles for addressing systemic racism in policing are the right foundation for the PRP’s work in this area.

  • Acknowledgement: Substantively acknowledge the reality of racial profiling, including the impact it has on individual and community well-being and trust in law enforcement, and recognize the specific impact on Indigenous peoples and racialized communities and individuals
  • Engagement: Actively and regularly engage with diverse Indigenous peoples and racialized communities to obtain frank and open feedback on the lived experience of racial profiling and effective approaches to combatting it
  • Policy guidance: Adopt and implement all appropriate standards, guidelines, policies and strict directives to address and end racial profiling in law enforcement
  • Data collection: Collect and analyze race data to identify and reduce disparity, and to manage performance
  • Monitoring and accountability: Regularly monitor racial profiling, and set robust internal accountability mechanisms at the governance, management and operational levels
  • Organizational change: Implement multi-faceted organizational change (for example, in relation to training, culture, hiring, incentive structures, etc.), consistent with the OHRC’s guide, Human rights and policing: Creating and sustaining organizational change
  • Multi-year action plan: Form anti-racist action plans featuring initiatives geared toward achieving short-term and long-term targets for advancing all of these principles 

What actions is the PRP going to take as a result of this survey?
The survey is part of a broader anti-racism initiative by the PRP. Ultimately, it will inform the legally binding recommendations the OHRC makes to the PRP to identify and address systemic racism in the Service. That initiative and relevant changes within the PRP are already well underway. 

If the PRP acknowledges it needs to build trust with the community, how can the community trust what you are saying about the survey?
The survey was conducted in collaboration with the OHRC and the Peel Regional Police Services Board. All parties had feedback to the questions asked, independently reviewed the data from the survey, and collaborated on the final report. Independent consultant, Dr. Akwasi Owusu-Bempah reviewed the findings. Raw data from the survey will be available in January 2022. The entire process has been transparent, which is important to our efforts to build trust and credibility.

The survey found that people who identified as Black and Asian had disproportionately more interactions with PRP and those interactions were disproportionately related to random stops, questioning and arrests. What does this tell you?
We know systemic racism exists within the PRP. As a result, some communities are over-policed and some are under-policed. This information will help us add training, deploy resources and recruit staff in ways that better meet the community’s needs and expectations.

What was the OHRC’s role in this? 
The PRP, OHRC and Peel Police Board have entered into a binding agreement to act on OHRC recommendations that will identify and address systemic racism. The OHRC has worked with the PRP throughout every step of this process to ensure its integrity and to ensure that it achieves its goals. 

This was an Internet survey. Does it accurately reflect the views of Peel residents? 
This was an Internet survey and therefore the results cannot be regarded as a reflection of the views of Peel residents in general. But it provides a useful view of the issues Peel residents find important, and it is also important to give Peel residents an opportunity to express their views. The survey comprised fixed-answer and open-ended answer questions to enable respondent alternatives in providing their views.

Did PRP employees respond to the survey? If so, how many, and did that skew the results in the PRP’s favour? 
The survey was open to everyone who lives or works in Peel Region, so it is likely some PRP employees responded. But that didn’t affect the issues that were identified, or the actions some people recommended for reform. Nor did it affect the ability of community residents to provide anonymous feedback to PRP. It was a valuable exercise. The responses were all anonymized, so we did not link any responses to any individuals. 

When is PRP going to release the OHRC’s recommendations?
In the first quarter of 2022. We are still engaged in the process of collecting public feedback, in collaboration with the OHRC. That feedback will help shape the OHRC’s final recommendations, which are legally binding on the PRP.

What is the purpose of the survey?
In our continuous efforts to identify and address systemic racism, the Peel Regional Police, Peel Police Services Board, and the Ontario Human Rights Commission have collaborated to develop a survey to gather community input on experiences with and perceptions of the Peel Regional Police.

How was the survey developed?
The survey is a collaboration between PRP, PPSB and the OHRC. It builds on the work that is currently underway to identify and address systemic racism in policing.

Why is Peel Police issuing this survey? 

The Peel Regional Police (PRP), the Peel Police Services Board (PPSB) and the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) committing to develop and implement legally binding remedies to identify and address systemic racism in policing, promote transparency and accountability, and enhance Black, other racialized and Indigenous communities’ trust in policing throughout Peel Region.

Within the scope of the MOU, the OHRC is providing human rights guidance to the PRP and PPSB on our multi-year human rights organizational change project, named the Human Rights Project.

As one of the steps in engaging with communities, the PRP and the PPSB in collaboration with the OHRC is issuing this survey.

How will the data collected from the survey be used? 
The data will be anonymized and reviewed separately by the PRP, independent data experts and the OHRC to look for insights and/or patterns that will inform PRP’s efforts to eliminate systemic racism.

Is this survey part of the memorandum with the OHRC?
The survey is a part of PRP’s commitment under the memorandum with the OHRC to identify and address systemic racism in Peel policing. The parties recognize that it is essential to hear from and work with Black, other racialized and Indigenous communities and allies, to consider appropriate ways to address systemic racism in policing in Peel Region.

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