policingliteracyiniave@gmail.com||jamil.jivani@aya.yale.edu||@PLItoronto www.plitoronto.org

OnApril26,2014thePolicingLiteracyIniave(PLI)hostedacommunityforumatTorontoCityHall.Presentattheforumwere100aendees,includingyouth,policeofficers,representavesofvariouscommunitygroups,andresidentsfromneighbourhoodsacrossthecity.TheforumalsofeaturedthepremiereofthePLIdocumedocumentary,“CrisisofDistrust:PoliceandCommunityinToronto,”andapanelofexpertsincludingDeputyChiefPeterSloly,Dr.ScotWortley,KniaSingh,IdilBurale,AkwasiOwu-su-Bempah,andZakariaAbdulle.

ThisforumwasjusttwodaysaertheTorontoPoliceServicesBoardpasseditspotenallyhis-toric“CommunityContacts”policytochangethepracceof“carding”(whichreferstopolicestoppingpeopleandcollecngtheirpersonalinformaon).Withnewpolicychangesinplace,

Torontofindsitselfinafamiliarposion:onpaperwehavetheopportunitytomakeourcitymoreequalandfair,butwearenowtaskedwithrealizingthisopportunityinpracce.ThePLIforumbuiltonthemomentumofthispolicychangebybringingforwardideasthatwouldimpactpolicingonthestreetbetweenofficersandandcommunitymembers.

Overall,thePLIforumdemonstratedthecurrentconversaontoredefinepolicingandcommunityinTorontoisonlyjustbeginning.PLI’sforumfeaturedsomeimportantideasforthecitytoconsideronourconnuingjourney.Acomprehensiveoutlineoftheday’sdiscussionsfollows.

PleasedonothesitatetocontactPLIwithanyquesonsoropportuniestocollaborate.

JamilJivani,J.D.Founder,PolicingLiteracyIniave

CrisisofDistrust:PoliceandCommunityinToronto

1

APolicingLiteracyIniaveWhitePaperApril/May2014

policingliteracyiniave@gmail.com||jamil.jivani@aya.yale.edu||@PLItoronto www.plitoronto.org

QuotesfromthePLICommunityForum

“I’moenasked,‘what’schanged?’Inmanyways,sadly,thingshavenot.Thisissueofracialbiasinthejuscesystem–notonlyinpolicing–isjustascontroversialandheatedtodayasitwas20yearsago.[…]Theonethingthat’schangeisthere’smoreofanadmissiononthepartofthepolicerightnowthatthereisanissue.”–Dr.ScotWortley,UniversityofTorontoCentreforCriminologyandSociolegalStudies

“Thefilmexpertlyexploresthecomplexissueofracialprofilingandeffecve,orineffecve,po-licing,andeveryconcernraisedinthefilmandraisedby[today’spanelists]isaddressedinthereportbyPACER(PoliceandCommunityEngagementReview).”–DeputyChiefPeterSloly,TorontoPoliceService

“Ifyouunderstandwhat’sgoingonthroughtheofficer’smind,andyouunderstandwhat’sgoingthroughthe[communitymember’s]mind,youcankindofbridgethegap.Youcaneithercreateaproblemorsolveaproblem.”–KniaSingh,OsgoodeSocietyAgainstInstuonalInjusce

“Youthandgunviolenceisnotjustapoliceissue.It’sanemploymentissue.It’sahousingissue.It’satransitissue.Weneedtolookatthissocialproblemasnotbeingablackorpoorpeopleinpriorityneighbourhoodsissue,butacityissue.”–IdilBurale,TorontoCityCouncilcandidate(Ward1)

““Thiswholeideaoftrusngthepoliceandallowingthemtodotheirjobs,issomethingpeople[insomeTorontoneighbourhoods]don’tthinkisachievable.[…]WhenIspoketosomeyoungpeopleyouseeinthefilm,theyworriedtheactualconversaonweareallheretohavetodaywasnotachievable,basedontheirexperiencesandwhatthey’veseeninpracce.”–ZakariaAbdulle,PolicingLiteracyIniave

“Ithinktheonusfallsonthepolice,buttheonusalsofallsonthepublic,too.Thepolicearesup-posedtobeheretoserveandprotectus,andit’sourresponsibilitytomakesurethathappens.”–AkwasiOwusu-Bempah,IndianaUniversity

2

PLIWhitePaperll CrisisofDistrust April/May2014

policingliteracyiniave@gmail.com||jamil.jivani@aya.yale.edu||@PLItoronto www.plitoronto.org

“Crisis of Distrust” Documentary

TheThecommunityforumfeaturedthepremierofthePLIdocumentary,“CrisisofDistrust:PoliceandCommunityinToronto,”directedbyDanEpstein.Thisdocumentaryprovidesinsightintotheexperienceofyoungmenwhointeractwithpoliceandrecommendaonstobuildtrustandac-countabilitybetweenpoliceandcommunies.ThedocumentaryfeaturesDeputyChiefPeterSloly,JimRankinoftheTorontoStar,Dr.ScotWortleyoftheUniversityofToronto,GaryNewmanofBreakingtheCycle,andNoaMendelsohnAvivoftheCanadianCivilLiberesAssociaon,aswellascommunitymembersfromacrossthecityofToronto.

YYoucanviewthedocumentaryonourwebsite,www.plitoronto.org.

3

PLI White Paper ll Crisis of Distrust April/May 2014

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2014/02/06/jamil-jivani-not-happy-with-the-police-try-talking-to-them/

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2014/03/09/toronto_police_can_build_better_links_to_minority_communities.html