Equity Strategy

Progress to date

In recent years, the Toronto Police Service has embarked on a journey of transformation aimed at achieving comprehensive police reform and a positive organizational culture. The Service has initiated various measures to restore community trust and assure its members that the workplace is a safe, unbiased, and inclusive environment. These measures include:

• Establishing the Equity, Inclusion & Human Rights unit in the Service and civilianizing equity and anti-racism training at the Toronto Police College
• Mandating training on Black Experience, Indigenous Reconciliation, Gender Diverse and Trans Inclusion, and Sexual Harassment
• Publishing the Know Your Rights Campaign
• Neighbourhood Community Officer Program and the Mobile Crisis Intervention Team Program
• Collecting, analyzing, reporting and acting on Race and Identity-based Data Collection – internally in our HR processes and externally reviewing interactions and arrests
• Making available alternative dispute resolution mechanisms for internal complaints
• Overhauling constable selection and promotional processes

About the Strategy

The Equity Strategy is based on the insights, findings and recommendations provided by experts in response to many significant events and studies from the past decade, as well as ongoing efforts by the Service to promote equity, inclusion and human rights.

The development of the Equity Strategy was informed by internal and community/stakeholder engagement, research on best practices, and support from subject-matter experts, including the latest findings from the Race and Identity-based Data Collection town halls.

The Service is committed to doing the necessary work, promoting transparency and being accountable for driving systemic change that leads to fair and unbiased policing. This will create an equitable, supportive, and inclusive environment for all.

The Equity Strategy focuses on the following initial priorities:

1. Confronting Anti-Black Racism,
2. Supporting Indigenous Cultural Safety,
3. Fostering 2SLGBTQI+ Inclusion,
4. Cultivating a Respectful Workplace (Accountability, Equity and Professionalism).

The Toronto Police Service has created an Equity Strategy for the first time in our organization’s history. Achieving true equity in policing demands a collective effort, constant practice, and continuous course correction informed by ongoing internal and external collaborations. We are committed to listening and learning from community members and our Service members, especially those whom we’ve failed in the past. Our goal is to strengthen, rebuild and repair relationships and trust as we move forward. As a result, the Equity Strategy is a living document that will continue to evolve over time.

The Equity Strategy includes four proposed priority-specific implementation plans (presented as individual standalone documents, available for download below), each tailored to the priorities outlined in the Strategy. While there may be some overlap in some sub-action items, each priority has its own individualized plan to address its unique challenges, histories and contexts.

It is recommended to read all proposed implementation plans together to gain a comprehensive understanding of the Strategy, as many of the sub-actions are interconnected and speak to each other (especially the Respectful Workplace priority, which covers all groups).

Read the Strategy

We will continue to engage with diverse communities and Service members to mobilize the Strategy and collaboratively refine the Implementation Plans. Updated Implementation Plans, upon review and incorporation of community and internal feedback, will be shared on the Equity Strategy webpage, in addition to regular updates on the Implementation Dashboard.

• Section 1 (Read First) - Toronto Police Service Equity Strategy (Download file)
• Section 2.1 - Confronting Anti-Black Racism Implementation Plan (Download file)
• Section 2.2 - Supporting Indigenous Cultural Safety Implementation Plan (Download file)
• Section 2.3 - Fostering 2SLGBTQI+ Inclusion Implementation Plan (Download file)
• Section 2.4 - Cultivating a Respectful Workplace (Accountability, Equity and Professionalism) Implementation Plan (Download file)