'No apology can make harm and violence go away': Damning Toronto Police race report sparks outrage
The online reaction to an extensive Toronto police report on the treatment of racialized people was swift and severe, with many lamenting the fact that it doesn't say anything new.
At a news conference Wednesday, data released confirmed what many critics have been saying for years - that Black, Indigenous and other racialized communities are disproportionately impacted by use of force and strip searches by police.
"As an organization, we have not done enough to ensure that every person in our city receives fair and unbiased policing," Toronto Police Chief James Ramer said.
While he also admitted that the force must "improve" and that they "will do better" going forward, many on social media weren't convinced the sentiment would lead to change.
BREAKING: Toronto police apologize for thing they'll continue to do
— Walking Eagle News (@TheEagleist) June 15, 2022
Do you know how bad something has to be for the Toronto Police Chief to pre-apologize?
— Oren Williamson aka Alex Treblack (@Oren_Williamson) June 15, 2022
Police release race-based data showing Black people in Toronto were 230% more likely to have a police officer point a firearm at them when they appeared to be unarmed than white people.
TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY PERCENT.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!— Ahmed Ali (@MrAhmednurAli) June 15, 2022
BREAKING: Toronto Police have released data showing Black people were 230% more likely to have a police officer point a firearm at them when they appeared to be unarmed than white people.
I don't want to hear anyone say that systemic racism doesn't exist in policing EVER AGAIN.— Naheed Dosani (@NaheedD) June 15, 2022
There's an easy fix, and it isn't a budget increase to (a) provide anti-racist training, or (b) tools to monitor the racism (cameras, data analytics)...
Every issue faced has always lead to increased funding, and it has never worked.
The solution is to REDUCE their funding.— Hassan Valji (he/him) (@HassanValji) June 15, 2022
Toronto police saying "we're not racist individuals, but collectively we're racist" isn't the apology they think it is.
— Ahmed Ali (@MrAhmednurAli) June 15, 2022
We didn't ask the police for an apology, we demanded lasting change from @JohnTory and Toronto's political class. we continue to demand police defunding and ultimately abolition, and no apology can substitute for that
a statement from @NoPolicing pic.twitter.com/HGrRfJ1VGW— negro frolics (@DesmondCole) June 15, 2022
The Toronto Police are institutionally racist and especially anti-Black and anti-Indigenous. No apology can make this harm and violence go away. This is why we must defund and abolish the police. #DefundThePolice https://t.co/ILlXrD7vZC
— Gary Kinsman (@GaryWKinsman) June 14, 2022
WOW Beverly Bain from No Pride In Policing just called Toronto police chief James Ramer out saying Black people didn't ask for his apology. "What we have asked for you to do is to stop brutalizing us, to stop killing us."
— 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐚 𝐤𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐧𝐚𝐧 (@ManishaKrishnan) June 15, 2022
it’s different this time because the police believe themselves? hmm okay
— vicky mochama (@vmochama) June 15, 2022
After this release, @JohnTory will say, "I am very concerned about this report and I will *continue* to be very concerned about this report. Clearly, the only solution here is to increase the @TPSOperations budget." #TOpoli https://t.co/oxcgZA3r16
— Scott Dagostino (@scottdagostino) June 14, 2022
Toronto Police didn’t need to do a whole report. I could’ve told them all that.
— negress of the norf (@gabriellewrren) June 15, 2022
It’s very difficult to believe @TorontoPolice will do much, they have ignored community advocates and even road maps forward that we’re handed to them. https://t.co/lJvImQqdjM
— Hollie Pollard (@holliepollard_) June 15, 2022
Reforming the police force across North America is essential, not just only in Toronto. Police services need to feel the financial consequences for abusing their powers against people of colour. It is wishful thinking to hope thay defunding the police can actually lead to change.
— J. (@jimmyyadig) June 15, 2022
New data shows that Toronto police officers use more force against Black people, with no clear explanation
as to why except for race.
Defunding the Police, its not a radical concept. pic.twitter.com/qDvyM7ZC4l— Gaibrie Stephen (@SGaibrie) June 15, 2022
the breaking report from Toronto police is damning: Black people were almost 5x more likely to face police than white people.
please don’t say that we are without systemic racism/discrimination in Canada.— Andrew Baback Boozary MD (@drandrewb) June 15, 2022
To be stripped of your clothing against your will and your body violated is unconscionable. Degrading. An apology from Toronto police is completely hollow. Worth absolutely nothing. We want a guarantee that they never have the power to violate anyone like this ever again.
— Amanda Bartley (@bartleyamandaj) June 15, 2022
The report also included 38 actions the force can follow in order to address racial disparities when it comes to use of force and strip searches. It was also reported that a public-facing online dashboard will monitor the force's progress of implementing change over time.
