Ontario Police Recruits Allege Anti-Black Racism, Prompting an Investigation Request
An anti-racism advocacy group is calling for an investigation into how the Ontario Provincial Police hires new officers after three OPP recruits across separate regions alleged they were subjected to anti-Black racism. The Black Class Action Secretariat is asking Ontario's Inspector General of Policing to examine whether the OPP's coaching and evaluating process for new officers safeguards against bias based on recruits' race, accents and cultures.
One of the recruits, speaking under the pseudonym Peter and now on medical leave, said at a news conference that his sergeant would mock his pronunciation by asking him to repeat words in front of his colleagues.
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The OPP acknowledged the concerns but said it cannot speak to specifics related to employment matters; it said it is dedicated to ensuring open, accessible, equitable and respectful workplaces and committed to reflecting the diverse communities it serves.
The Black Class Action Secretariat's Alain Babineau argues that diversity, equity and inclusion commitments from organizations like the OPP don't go far enough: diversity is one thing, but recruits have to be included and provided with equity in how they're treated.