Community Consultations

Between October 2022 and April 2023, there will be 7 Community Town Halls throughout Toronto hosted by community agencies in partnership with the Toronto Police Service.

These Town Halls are a forum for community members to share their perspectives and experiences, as well as give feedback on the proposed 38 action items to address the outcomes of the 2020 Use of Force and Strip Search report. 

Each Town Hall will be an interactive hybrid-model with the opportunity to share and ask questions, either in-person or virtually. We heard from community leaders and the larger community about the need to rebuild trust. Community members will have the opportunity to share their experiences in a Brave Space with culturally appropriate therapists and local community resources on-site. 

See below for the in-person registration links and YouTube links for virtual participation.

If you are unable to attend these town halls, you still have the opportunity to provide your feedback on the action items by filling out the survey here.

• Toronto Public Library - Albion Branch
  1515 Albion Rd, Etobicoke, ON M9V 1B2
  October 27, 2022, 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
  Watch Recording

• Jamaican Canadian Association
  Hosted by Caribbean African Canadian Social Services: CAFCAN
  995 Arrow Road, North York, ON
  November 16 2022, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
  Watch Recording

• Malvern Public Library
  30 Sewells Rd, Scarborough, ON M1B 3G5
  November 23 2022, 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
  Watch Recording
   
• Youth Focus Town Hall
  Malvern Family Resource Centre
  90 Littles Rd, Scarborough, ON M1B 5E2
  November 29, 2022, 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
  Watch Recording
   
• Scarborough Centre for Healthy Communities Health Centre
  2660 Eglinton Ave E, Scarborough, ON M1K 2S3
  November 30, 2022, 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
  Watch Recording 
   
• Lawrence Height Community Centre
  5 Replin Rd, North York, ON M6A 2N3
  NEW DATE: March 8, 2023, 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
  Watch Recording
   
• Lawrence Height Community Centre
  5 Replin Rd, North York, ON M6A 2N3
  Date and Time TBD
   
• Regent Park Community Centre
  402 Shuter St, Toronto, ON M5A 1X6
  Date and Time TBD
   
• Wellesley Community Centre
  495 Sherbourne St, Toronto, ON M4X 1K7
  Date and Time TBD

In an effort to support individuals, we have asked some of our community partners to extend support to individuals who might be experiencing difficulties to the result of the TPS Race and Identity-Based Data Release.

Those organizations that provide FREE services are listed below.

Hong Fook Mental Health Association
3320 Midland Ave, Suite 201, Scarborough ON, M1V5E6
Telephone: 416-479-7600

Caribbean African Canadian Social Services (CAFCAN)
995 Arrow Road, North York ON M9M2Z5
Telephone: 416-740- 1056

Rexdale Community Health Centre
8 Taber Rd, Etobicoke, ON M9W 3A4
Telephone: (416) 744-0066

Scarborough Centre for Healthy Communities
629 Markham Rd Unit 2, Scarborough, ON M1H 2A4
Telephone: (416) 642-9445

TAIBU Community Health Centre
Unit 1 - 27 Tapscott Road, Scarborough ON, M1B 4Y7
Telephone: (416) 644-3536

Women's Health in Women's Hands Community Health Centre
2 Carlton Street, Suite 500, Toronto, ON M5B1J3
Telephone: (416) 593-7655
 

Starting in 2019, the Service conducted its largest engagement endeavour to raise awareness and gather public feedback about how diverse communities would like to be involved throughout the implementation process.[1]

We held 8 town halls and had 9 meetings with the Chief’s Community Consultative Committees, as well as provided quarterly updates to the Board and the Anti-Racism Advisory Panel (A.R.A.P.) responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Strategy.

Town Halls in 2020

Between November 25 and Dec 5, 2020, the Service hosted 4 virtual town halls so that we can continue to engage with members of the public on this important topic despite a city-wide lockdown due to the COVID pandemic.

At these town halls, the Service shared back what they heard from town halls held in 2019 and the 69 focus groups that were conducted between October 2019 and February 2020 (see next tabs). Communities were invited to share their perspectives on how the Service should protect and manage the data collected and what principles should guide analyses. The Service also shared information about training provided to officers and civilian staff so they understand the importance and purpose of the RBDC Strategy.

The four town halls were livestreamed and can be viewed using the links below:

• Nov 25, 2020: https://youtu.be/npdQhVk4L_A
• Nov 26, 2020: https://youtu.be/5y-rSA5aXNo
• Dec 1, 2020: https://youtu.be/wEZmDFDuLrU
• Dec 3, 2020: https://youtu.be/uGloZslTsw0

Town Halls in 2019

At the Scadding Court Community Centre on Wednesday, December 4, 2019, Deputy Chief Peter Yuen kicked off a series of community conversations about the Race and Identity-based Data Collection Strategy.  The Toronto Police Service asked the public to share its thoughts on race-based data collection.

Members of the community had the opportunity to hear about why police officers will be collecting race-based data on January 1, 2020 as mandated by the Ontario government to address systemic racial bias.

Attendees were asked key questions that helped to inform how the officers are trained and how best they can serve the public going forward. 

The conversation was available on social media and could be followed via #TPSRaceData on Twitter.  The meeting was live-streamed on Facebook.

Following this, there three additional town halls that took place:

• December 9, 6:30 p.m., Royal Canadian Legion, 1050 Weston Road
• December 17, Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto, 5183 Sheppard Ave E
• December 19, 6:30 p.m., Regent Park Community Centre, 402 Shuter Street

From October 2019 to February 2020, we engaged in our largest engagement endeavor ever to raise awareness about this strategy and to gather public feedback. We heard community voices through 69 focus groups and town halls involving 886 participants.

‘In the Communities’ Words’, a report back on what we heard, was published in 2020 and followed by additional virtual town halls in December 2020 in partnership with community agencies throughout Toronto. Read more at the link below.

What We Heard

Key Theme: Relationship Building 

Reconciliation and Trust

"We have to have a convo with how we are... it is part of reconciliation, which is validating what we have experieneced. This is what we need from you to be accountable and improve going forward."

"Build trust with the community. This program (RBD) requires a high degree of trust."

Community Engagement

"We need PARTICIPATION not INPUT. Police should have public participation at every step of the process."

"Consult with the public every step of the way - analysis, interpretation and implementation. The public should have the most say in what happens because it is directly affecting them."

Key Theme: Data Collection

Self-identification data

"I feel targeted and that my disclosing this info would change the service I receive from police. I feel information could be used against me, don't know where this info is going."

"I prefer the police do not assume where I am from. I feel more respected if I am asked where I am from."

Key Theme: Data Management

Data Purpose

"Other reports say what we already know. That was done in the community. How is this data different? Will you be doing something different with it?

"There has been a lot of research of how systemic racism plays out in TPS and in the country more generally. What is preventing the TPS from addressing systemic racism now?"

Good Faith Use

"It might be used to confirm deep seated biases against racialized communities...and victimize particular sections of racialized minorities, resulting in over policing."

"Although the data could serve as evidence of racial discrimination, the data alone would not be sufficent to solve the systemic racial discrimination."