The Equity, Inclusion, and Human Rights Unit (EIHR) is designed to spearhead best practices in community policing to develop a world-class system, culture and practices for a progressive and modern Toronto Police Service.
Launched as part of The Way Forward, the EIHR Unit is supporting the Service’s ambitious modernization efforts through a wide array of progressive initiatives. Guided by a team of subject matter experts from across legal, academic, and equity and inclusion backgrounds, the EIHR Unit is furthering efforts to create a healthy, safe, and inclusive work environment within the Toronto Police Service, while building trust-based relationships with the communities it serves.
While the EIHR Unit will advance a wide range of equity and inclusion initiatives across the Service, its notable priority areas include: the Gender Diverse and Trans Inclusion Initiative; the Workplace Well-Being, Harassment and Discrimination Review; and the Race and Identity-Based Data Strategy.
In consultation with a broad and diverse range of community stakeholders, the EIHR Unit will ultimately craft a long-term Equity Strategy for the Toronto Police Service. This strategy will augment the significant efforts already underway to make the Service more inclusive, while providing a community-driven framework for future initiatives.
Learn more about the EIHR’s initiatives below, including:
- Gender Diverse and Trans Inclusion
- Inclusive and Respectful Workplace
- Equity Strategy
- Race and Identity-Based Data Strategy
Gender Diverse and Trans Inclusion (GDTI)
The Gender Diverse and Trans Inclusion (GDTI) initiative is a key part of the Service’s efforts to foster an inclusive, accountable and transparent culture.
The GDTI Initiative was launched following the Boyd Kodak v. TPSB case, which prompted the TPSB and the TPS to enter into an agreement with the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) to revise Service policies, procedures, orders, forms (PPOF), and officer training, in consultation with trans and gender diverse (TGD) communities. In 2017, The Way Forward modernization plan further identified the need for systemic and cultural change within the Service, as well as ongoing community engagement.
As part of the GDTI initiative, the Service is embarking on a fulsome review of its policies, procedures, orders, forms (PPOF) to ensure they are both gender diverse and trans-inclusive.
The initiative has been advanced in consultation with Toronto’s trans and gender diverse (TGD) communities and an expert consultant who identified 25 TPSB policies and 49 TPS Procedures in which assigned sex, gender identity and/or gender expression are pertinent and made recommendations for trans-inclusive revisions.
Participation
- Key Community Advisors – Members of gender diverse and trans communities who are familiar with community issues were invited to provide insight and feedback.
- Focus Groups – Three focus groups among street-involved youth, youth of colour and sex workers offered their experiences and insights to inform policy revisions and training.
- Public Community Forum and Meeting – Community members and organizations were invited to provide feedback and discuss proposed changes to relevant policies, procedures and officer training.
Policies, Procedures, Orders and Forms
As part of the Service’s commitment to delivering effective police services which are sensitive to the needs of Toronto’s diverse communities, a number of updates to Service Governance have been completed as part of the GDTI Initiative, as outlined in the following documents:
- Routine Order 2020.03.10-0205 – New Standard of Conduct 1.9.2
- Routine Order 2021.04.29-0337 – Revised Procedures and TPS Forms
- Routine Order 2021.11.24-1099 – Revised Procedure 01-02 “Search of Persons” and Service Definitions
Highlights of the updates include:
- New Standard of Conduct 1.9.2 – Respect for Gender Diverse and Trans-Inclusive Policing
- List of updated Service Procedures and related Definitions
- List and updated instructions for Service Forms, to ensure Gender information is accurately recorded based on how the respondent identifies for all Forms
- Updated instructions in the Search of Persons procedure, to ensure that officers remain considerate and sensitive to the needs and concerns of Trans and Gender-Diverse persons and provide appropriate accommodations when required
Copies of the updated Procedures listed in the posted documents can be found on our Service Procedures page.
Inclusive and Respectful Workplace
The Inclusive and Respectful Workplace initiative is an ongoing review and modernization of policies, procedures, practices and programs at the Toronto Police Service to ensure alignment with best practices with respect to workplace harassment and discrimination and other types of workplace conflict, with the overarching goal of ensuring a psychologically safe, inclusive and respectful workplace.
The initiative includes an ongoing, independently led audit into the attitudes, perceptions and experiences among the Toronto Police Service’s nearly 8,000 members. This review is designed to identify and assess unmet needs and barriers facing members. Conducted by an independent third-party, this broad review will inform and guide the Equity Strategy for the Service. The final report will provide concrete methods to address biases and remove barriers, with the ultimate goal of ensuring the Service’s policies, procedures and practices provide a safe and healthy work environment where members are encouraged to contribute their unique experiences, abilities and perspectives.
Equity Strategy
The Equity Strategy, a first for the Toronto Police Service, is a document that represents the Service’s proactive efforts and commitment in bringing about organizational change to build and nurture an equitable, supportive and inclusive space for our members and our communities. It builds on existing efforts and various findings and recommendations from many significant events, reports and reviews over the last decade. This Strategy commits the Service to do the work needed and create accountability for driving systemic change toward fair and unbiased policing.
We are taking a multi-faceted approach—one that is all-of-Service, consultative and community-centered–to develop and implement the Strategy, and work towards the vision of creating a safe and fair working environment for our Service members so they can thrive and serve our communities; and delivering fair police services with and for our diverse communities to keep Toronto the best and safest place to be. This Strategy is a living document and will continue to evolve and change over time. The Equity Strategy represents an important milestone in the journey to make lasting transformational change possible.
Visit the Equity Strategy webpage
Race and Identity-Based Data Strategy
The Race and Identity-Based Data Collection (RBDC) Strategy is a key element of the Toronto Police Service’s commitment to equitable, unbiased, and non-discriminatory policing.
Launched in accordance with the provincial Anti-Racism Act of 2017, the RBDC Strategy’s purpose is to identify, monitor and eliminate systemic racism while supporting the development of equitable policies, procedures, services and initiatives.
The RBDC Strategy is governed by the Toronto Police Service’s Board’s Race and Identity-based Data Collection, Analysis and Public Reporting Policy, and is based on the principle that measurement is crucial to effectively understanding the scope of bias and discrimination in policing, and involves the collecting, analyzing and publicly reporting on data related to the race of citizens engaged or involved in police interactions. This collection of anonymized data will allow the Service to identify how its actions impact the communities it serves and assess where, and how, resources can be allocated differently or more appropriately.
This innovative strategy is informed by an independent, third-party Community Advisory Panel, ensures transparency and accountability in the collection, analysis, and reporting of data.
TPS Equity Strategy
ViewRace and Identity-Based Data Collection Strategy
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