Equity is safer: Human rights considerations for policing reform in British Columbia
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Detention
These submissions to the Special Committee on Reforming the Police Act (SCORPA) use disaggregated demographic data to reveal disturbing racial disparities in policing in our province. They recommend reforming a range of policing activities in B.C. to reduce systemic racism and improve safety by improving equity.
The time for debate about whether systemic racism exists in policing is over—particularly, but not exclusively, as it effects Indigenous and Black people in British Columbia. It is time to act.
*If the version available via this page is not accessible for you, please feel welcome to contact our Office to request a printed copy or another format that meets your needs.
Translations of the Executive Summary are available in:
عربى | فارسی | Français | 한국어 | ਪੰਜਾਬੀ | 简体中文 | Tagalog | 繁體中文 | Tiếng Việt
More resources
- Press release: B.C.’s Human Rights Commissioner’s Police Act submission data reveals disturbing pattern of discrimination in B.C. policing
- Supporting research:
- Wortley, Scot. Racial disparities in British Columbia police statistics: A preliminary examination of a complex issue, September 2021.
- Samuels-Wortley, Kanika. The state of school liaison programs in Canada, May 2021.
Support for impacted communities
The data we are releasing points to a trend of over policing of racialized people in British Columbia. We recognize this information will be deeply disturbing for many people in our province to hear. This issue, while critical to examine, is extremely challenging, especially for people who have experienced or witnessed negative interactions with police or law enforcement. Members of police services who are shocked by these statistics and concerned with the conclusions drawn may also feel the need for support. B.C. residents who experience distress at hearing this news or who need immediate help can access a list of crisis lines and emergency mental health supports we have compiled on our website at: bchumanrights.ca/support
If the above version is not accessible for you, please feel welcome to contact our Office to request a printed copy or another format that meets your needs.