Present:
Norman Gardner, Chairman
Jeff Lyons, Vice Chair
Mel Lastman, Mayor & Member
Olivia Chow, Member
Sylvia Hudson, Member
Emilia Valentini, Member
Sandy Adelson, Member

THIS IS AN EXTRACT FROM THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE TORONTO POLICE SERVICES BOARD HELD ON JANUARY 26, 2000 #15. BOARD'S RACE RELATIONS SUB-COMMITTEE - MINUTES OF THE DECEMBER 6, 1999 MEETING

The Toronto Police Services Board was in receipt of the following report DECEMBER 7, 1999 from Norman Gardner, Chairman:

Subject: BOARD'S RACE RELATIONS SUB-COMMITTEE - MINUTES OF THE DECEMBER 6, 1999 MEETING

Recommendation:

It is recommended that:

(1) based upon the materials provided to the sub-committee that an un-representative number of members of the black community are subjected to police stops it is requested that the Chief provide a report detailing what strategies are available to deal with this issue. Furthermore, that the report include how these strategies are implemented and evaluated.

Background:

The Board's sub-committee on race relations met on December 6, 1999 to discuss the issue of police stops.

Presentation and Discussion:

On behalf of the sub-committee, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association invited Scot Wortley, Professor of Criminology at the University of Toronto, to make a presentation. The Sub-committee was also in receipt of a number of Professor Wortley's academic papers as background information. A hard copy of Professor Wortley's presentation is appended to this report for information.

Professor Wortley outlined the results of a survey conducted five years ago on police stops. His research showed Black respondents were more likely to have been stopped by police. He also spoke about the issue of who gets stopped and searched at Customs.

The sub-committee also discussed the issue of "police profiling".

The sub-committee raised concerns about the number of police stops and how police stops are played out. For example, the members raised concerns about youth being criminalized as a result of police stops. There was also agreement amongst the members that white youth and black youth have different views of police when they are being stopped.

Professor Wortley urged the sub-committee members not to be afraid of conducting future research in the area. Research does not create division; often the division is already there. Professor Wortley also recommended that research needed to be conducted within police organizations to ensure that the training officers receive is beneficial. (The sub-committee was advised that C.O. Bick College has started an evaluation function of its training programs (Board Minute 443/99 refers).)

Chairman Gardner had to leave the meeting early and Sylvia Hudson, Board Member and Vice-Chair of the sub-committee, chaired the remainder of the meeting.

Recommendation:

The mandate of the race relations sub-committee is to bring forward recommendations to enhance police/community relationships in the area of race relations and race relations initiatives. The issue of police stops was identified as an issue affecting police/community relations.

Based upon material provided to the sub-committee, the sub-committee members unanimously adopted the following motion:

"based upon the materials provided to the sub-committee that an un-representative number of members of the black community are subjected to police stops it is requested that the Chief provide a report detailing what strategies are available to deal with this issue. Furthermore, that the report include how these strategies are implemented and evaluated."

The Board approved the foregoing.