An inquiry has been launched in BC in which the BC Human Rights Commissioner will be putting the police under a microscope.
This is all coming about because a 2021 report looking into equity and safety for British Columbians found “a disturbing pattern of discrimination in policing in the province.”
In recent years, the Commissioner’s office says that concern for police use of force has grown, especially when taking into account the fact that it can disproportionately impact racialized communities as well as those experiencing mental health crises.
They say that available data points to violence being more frequently and severely dealt to these groups by police; however, there is no comprehensive data yet to quantify the impacts of the disproportionate use of force.
This inquiry will uncover and address these issues and how they can begin to dismantle the systemic racism within local police departments.
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“There is a direct connection between equity and community safety,” said Commissioner Kasari Govender.
“Systemic discrimination erodes the foundation of trust between communities and law enforcement, jeopardizing the safety of all residents.”
She says the data from this inquiry will help the Commissioner’s office to understand who is at the receiving end of this violence and what can be done to address any equity issues that emerge.
As I have said before, ‘we cannot act on what we do not know,’” Govender continued.
The 2021 report was made based on the use of police force in five jurisdictions: the Vancouver Police Department, Nelson Police Department as well as the Surrey, Prince George and Duncan RCMP detachments.
It found specifically that, Indigenous and Black people, as well as other racialized groups, are grossly overrepresented in arrests and chargeable incidents.
It also found that people experiencing mental health crises are similarly and significantly overrepresented.
“We know from our earlier work and from listening to racialized people from across BC that potential disparities in policing activities demand monitoring and action,” stated the Commissioner.
“The role of the Commissioner’s Office is to shine a light on inequities and address them directly to ensure justice for all. That is what this inquiry seeks to do.”
The Commissioner’s office has not yet set an expected date of completion for this inquiry, but once they are complete, the inquiry will be made public and the results will be taken up in the BC Legislature.
