Thunder Bay needs change
It came as no surprise that Ontario’s police watchdog was unequivocal in its confirmation that systemic racism exists in Thunder Bay Police Service at an institutional level. In fact, OIPRD director Gerry McNeilly noted that he approached the police with similar concerns 10 years ago.
Racism runs throughout “Broken Trust,” the 200-page report by the Office of the Independent Police Review Director that confirms the relationship between the police and the Indigenous community is in crisis and can only be improved through fundamental change. On the same day the OIPRD documented failures of the police, Maclean’s magazine gave Thunder Bay the inglorious title as Canada's No. 1 city for hate crimes.
These issues are not unrelated, and should be a wake-up call for municipal leaders.
McNeilly encouraged the community not to waste this opportunity to make real change. But judging by the city’s initial response, they are not off to a good start.
The initial statement by the chief of police, Sylvie Hauth, made no mention of “racism,” merely acknowledging “systemic barriers” in policing and a vague commitment to work toward “bias-free” policing.
Similarly, newly elected Mayor Bill Mauro, who serves on the Thunder Bay Police Services Board, also avoided the term “racism,” telling reporters that he would refrain from acknowledging bias within the force until the police chief reports to the board.
When the OIPRD reviewed the case of Stacy DeBungee, an Indigenous man whose death was immediately labelled as non-suspicious and non-criminal by police, board vice-chair Brian McKinnon touted “there are no facts that there is systemic racism in the Thunder Bay Police Service,” and demanded evidence to the contrary.
That evidence was delivered in this week’s report, which examined police investigations into the deaths of 37 Indigenous people. It recommends that nine cases be re-investigated and that all sudden death and homicide investigations by Thunder Bay police must be reviewed by experienced investigators from other forces.
It even went so far as to recommend the implementation of psychological testing to eliminate applicants who have racist views and attitudes, which is not currently done in Ontario.
But rather than acknowledging these findings the city’s leaders downplayed them, implying that racism is the norm across the province.
It is now the responsibility of the TBPS and the board to begin the immediate implementation of the 44 recommendations in the three-year period set out by the OIPRD.
At the end of this time frame if the TBPS haven’t gotten a good start on these recommendations then the province will have to seriously consider other policing options for the city.
At the closing ceremony of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the Hon. Sen. Murray Sinclair stated that: “Achieving reconciliation is like climbing a mountain. We must proceed a step at a time. It will not always be easy. There will be storms, there will be obstacles. But we cannot allow ourselves to be daunted by the task because our goal is Just, and it is also necessary.”
I am grateful for the work of the OIPRD to reveal racism and severe deficiencies in the police service and its board.
I hope these reports are accepted as a call to action for the entire Thunder Bay community: the police, municipal leaders, and residents.
Fixing these problems will not be easy, but these extensive reports and insightful recommendations have given us a road map to move forward.
I respect the challenges that Thunder Bay police officers face in the line of duty and their commitment to ensuring the safety of this community. All members of the police service are vital to making Thunder Bay the safe and welcoming community we all want it to be. We are committed to helping the police and the city address these issues while holding those responsible to account.
It is now up to those with expertise and authority to demonstrate that they are serious about making things better for the City of Thunder Bay.
In 2015 the RCMP commissioner conceded publicly that there is racism in his force, which was seen as a key step to addressing the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
It is clear that the Thunder Bay Police Service has a problem with racism. The mayor and chief of police must acknowledge this. Immediately, and in public. This is the starting point if they are serious about creating change.