PLI Crisis of Distrust White Paper
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Transcript of PLI Crisis of Distrust White Paper
[email protected]||[email protected]||@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
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APolicingLiteracyIniaveWhitePaperApril/May2014
[email protected]||[email protected]||@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
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PLIWhitePaperll CrisisofDistrust April/May2014
[email protected]||[email protected]||@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.
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PLI White Paper ll Crisis of Distrust April/May 2014