York cops urge police board to take action on systemic racism
Black officers describe incidents of workplace discrimination
Years of microaggressions, including being told a Jamaican accent was detrimental to being a cop. Repeatedly being passed over for promotions, or labelled a troublemaker for talking about discrimination on the job. Racist comments made in their presence.
In a rare presentation Wednesday, four Black York Regional Police (YRP) officers gave raw and emotional deputations to the force’s civilian police board, detailing personal experiences of anti-Black racism within the force and urging immediate change.
In one tense incident, an officer alleged he was made to fear for his life after being racially profiled by members of his own service in 2018.
According to Det.-Const. Neil Dixon, a standoff with fellow YRP members began when a citizen inside a restaurant saw two Black, plain-clothes officers with service-issued guns and called police.
When he went outside, Dixon said, YRP officers were waiting, setting off a 25-minute incident where Dixon alleges the officers repeatedly doubted he was a cop, even after he showed them his badge. When a sergeant arrived, the situation escalated and he began aggressively yelling at Dixon: “Let me see your hands.”
“I was still not believed to be a police officer because of my Blackness,” Dixon told the board, becoming emotional. “I felt I was going to be killed by my own police service.”
Each of the officers described incidents of workplace discrimination but said that when they’ve spoken out in the past, were met with “dismissive behaviour, such as ‘oh, you guys have hurt feelings,’” said Const. Dameian Muirhead.
“There should also be more Black officers here,” Muirhead said, “but they are afraid.”
A spokesperson for York Regional Police said the service could not comment on the specific allegations made by the officers due to ongoing complaints. But both the York police board chair and police chief Jim MacSween thanked the officers for coming forward and assured them they listened and would take action.
“We take this very seriously,” MacSween said. “And we are committed to moving forward.”
Currently off on stress leave, Muirhead was the focus of a high-profile 2011 incident that began when he was the victim of a racist threat when a member of the public suggested he should be lynched.
The case saw Muirhead himself charged with professional misconduct before the charges were later dropped with little explanation, he said — but not before he felt “defamed” by his supervisors. To this day, Muirhead said, no one has checked in with him about what it felt like to be the subject of a racist threat — “no one has asked me how that affected my mental state.”
“We saw last year, people from all walks of life uniting against police brutality and anti-Black racism. Well, here we are. York Regional Police in my opinion ... has reverted to what I can describe as the 1960s and ’70s,” Muirhead said.
“I have no faith, no trust in this organization to do the right thing,” said special constable
Vernley France, who described “degrading” on-the-job experiences including having a supervisor use a racial slur in his presence.
Among the recommendations made to the board to improve Black officers’ work environment: specific supports for Black officers where they can express workplace concerns; an acknowledgment that systemic racism has impacted the public and officers; and anti-Black racism training for police members, delivered by Black citizens.
MacSween said the service has established an Afro-Caribbean Canadian Internal Support Network for police members, and he noted an internal inclusivity strategy will be released in the coming weeks that will “address diversity and equity in our workplace.”
He also noted that in the last year the force has developed mandatory anti-racism training that has been completed by
all members.
Board chair Virginia Hackson said it likely wasn’t easy for the officers to share their experiences “and I thank you for having the courage to do so.”
She added: “I’d like you to know that we hear you. And the board is committed to moving in the right direction with respect to addressing any form of racism.”
Dixon said he has since been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder since the 2018 incident where he was confronted by fellow officers, which was not the first time he was stopped by police while in plain clothes.
A decorated officer with nearly two decades on the job, including stints fighting organized crime, Dixon described facing discrimination from the beginning of his career.
In training, Dixon said he was told he was a nice guy “but not good enough to be a police officer” because of his Jamaican
accent. A supervisor warned him he should be careful when he’s on calls involving white people, “as if, as a police officer being Black, I have a place or a position.”
Dixon said that over the years, despite “exemplary” work performance that has earned him awards, he has been passed over for promotion. And because he has begun speaking out about racial profiling within the force, Dixon said he’s been branded a troublemaker.
“Members were told to be careful of me, as I’m a part of Black Lives Matter, as if something’s wrong with that,” he said.
In one case, France said a fellow officer described Black people as mostly criminal in front of him and a young offender. In another, he said a colleague told him he was only hired because he’s Black.
“I can say that systemic racism, anti-Black discrimination and racial discrimination are very well present in York Regional Police,” said Const. Stephano Therese, an officer with a decade on the job.
Courtney Betty, a lawyer representing the officers, commended MacSween and the board for providing the officers a platform for their experiences. When Betty first approached MacSween, the chief showed a swift interest in “hearing what these officers had to say.”
“Their stories are very hard, they are very tough,” Betty said. “They’ve decided to come here today to shine some light, even in their darkness, in the hope that they can create a bridge moving forward.”
In a statement, YRP said Wednesday that the service “will not cease” in efforts to create a workplace that is free of racism, discrimination and systemic bias.
In addition to the initiatives listed by MacSween, a spokesperson said there is currently an ongoing review of employment practices and recruiting processes, and that the service has launched an anti-harassment committee and established a “Black community consultative roundtable.”
“We continue to ensure our members and our community are aware of our deep commitment to eliminate racism, including anti-Black racism, in all its ugly forms,” the YRP spokesperson said.
In a statement, Hackson said members of the board “are willing to hear all points of view as we work collectively to ensure a bias-free workplace.” She said the board knows “first-hand” of YRP’s efforts to work to eliminate systemic racism.
“It will take all of us working together to ensure these goals are met and we look forward to hearing the diverse viewpoints of YRP members as we continue this very important work.”