Community Engagement on OHRC 7 Principles
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? |
|
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. |
View Community Survey Results
Click for raw data from the community survey
Note: Data is also available in the full survey report above.
Archive
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)
Application Process
What to Expect After Submitting Your Application
|
FAQs - Community Survey | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Contact us
Contact Us