Hector Addison, Executive Director, African Canadian Association of Ottawa

Wednesday 17 July 2024

African Canadian Association of Ottawa demands change in police practices

When Ottawa police officers use force in the course of their duties, Black people are still disproportionately likely to be on the receiving end , according to a report released yesterday by the Ottawa Police Services Board. These numbers have not changed compared to a similar report four years ago.

According to the report, Ottawa Police officers used force against 310 people last year, 81 of whom were identified as Black. That is 26 per cent of the total, despite the fact that Black people make up only 8 per cent of Ottawa’s population.

Ottawa Police also used force against 33 people perceived as Middle Eastern, or 11 per cent of the total. Once more, it is exactly the same percentage as the four-year average. About six per cent of the city’s population is Middle Eastern.

Indigenous people were also overrepresented in the statistics, at about 1.5 times their share of the population.

According to the report, Ottawa police officers get training in crisis management and de-escalation, which is supposed to help them minimize the use of force.

Hector Addison, Executive Director of the African Canadian Association of Ottawa (ACAO), called the statistics “unacceptable” and “worrisome.”

“The African Canadian Association of Ottawa is deeply concerned by the continued overrepresentation of Black and Middle Eastern individuals in police use-of-force statistics. This troubling pattern underscores the urgent need for comprehensive reforms and accountability within our policing systems.

We call on the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) and the Police Service Board to take decisive action to reverse this trend. OPS and all police services across Canada should reduce their violent approach to policing Black individuals and implement meaningful changes to ensure justice and equity for all communities. Our organization remains committed to advocating for the rights and wellbeing of people of African descent in Canada”.

Eric Stubbs Ottawa Police Chief

Eric Stubbs, Chief of Ottawa Police Service sent this response to an inquiry from Black Ottawa Scene:

  • The Ottawa Police Service definitely has action plans underway to address the disproportionate representation of Black community members in the recent Use of Force and Traffic Stop Race Data reports. Community input and engagement are a critical part of the collective action we are taking through our Diversity, Respect, Inclusion, Values, Equity, and Engagement Strategy – which we call our DRIVE2 Strategy.
  • The 2023 – 2027 DRIVE2 Strategy is our roadmap for continued organizational human rights change. With over 30 action items to improve culture and service delivery, it was developed in collaboration with the Community Equity Council and is built on significant inputs from both police and community members, engagement recommendations, and third-party reports and audits. A mid-year update report was provided to the Ottawa Police Service Board in July.
  • The Police Service is also undertaking a number of new partnership training initiatives such as Anti-Black Racism workshops, Indigenous Cultural Awareness, Active Bystandership training, and crisis intervention and de-escalation training for call takers.
  • We are committed to moving from reports and recommendations to taking action together, and we welcome feedback and involvement from Ottawa’s Black communities. Community members can get involved in the DRIVE2 Strategy action items by visiting the Community Equity Council at opscommunityequitycouncil.com or contacting the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Unit at [email protected].

Click on this link for the full report: Report (escribemeetings.com)