Anti-racism activist says special meeting with police just a ‘PR exercise’ if it doesn’t produce real change (St. Catharines Standard)

(https://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/news/niagara-region/2020/07/24/anti-racism-activist-says-special-meeting-with-police-just-a-pr-exercise-if-it-doesnt-produce-real-change.html)

Anti-racism activist says special meeting with police just a ‘PR exercise’ if it doesn’t produce real change

By Bill SawchukStandard Reporter

Fri., July 24, 2020timer3 min. read

For Saleh Waziruddin of the Niagara Region Anti-Racism Association, Thursday’s special Regional Council meeting with the police represents a missed opportunity.

The councillors called the meeting to discuss St. Catharines Mayor Walker Senzik’s motion to combat racism in law enforcement — and invited the police and the public to participate.

“This is not real reform but a public relations opportunity for the Niagara Regional Police to say what it is already doing, not what steps it will take for reform or even acknowledge the need for reforms,” said Waziruddin, a presenter at the meeting.

Sendzik’s motion had eight action points asking for reports on cultural sensitivity training and de-escalation techniques, the public complaint process and the impact on policing of a zero per cent budget.

Waziruddin said Sendzik’s motion was, at best, asking the NRP to do what it already does — or at worse, asking for even less.

Waziruddin called on the police to make “actual reforms,” including an end to street checks, which Niagara Regional Police Chief Bryan MacCulloch said had dwindled to almost zero.

“This is easy to do,” Waziruddin said. “Instead, Regional Council only ‘continued the conversation,’ which is just a public relations exercise for the NRPS if it does not result in any action in the near future.”

Waziruddin said that while MacCulloch acknowledged that systemic racism existed in the institution of policing, he stopped short of acknowledging it exists in the NRP.

Waziruddin said the “stubborn refusal to admit to something very basic” is messaging that denies the NRP has any connection to the need for police reforms elsewhere.

“Programs described by the chief for diversity tours and community relations are nice, but are ultimately about public relations,” Waziruddin said.

In an interview Friday after the meeting, MacCulloch said he and the NRP remain as committed as ever to a culture of diversity and inclusion within our service.

“We are often compared to the U.S. where there aren’t the oversight mechanisms in place here,” MacCulloch said. “That oversight is essential. It assures members of our community that our officers will be held accountable. They are held to very high standards.

“That does not exist in the U.S., and it is something many are fighting for there. There are 18,000 police services in the U.S. and 140 in Canada. There is much greater consistency here in training, policy, and oversight.”

MacCulloch said the senior leadership team is committed to undertaking a review of all NRP policies for systemic racism.

“We know systemic racism can manifest itself in policies and procedures that may be neutral, but in reality can disadvantage marginalized members in society. That’s our commitment to the public and our community. We will undertake that review.”

Karl Dockstader of Niagara and Kerry Goring of St. Catharines told the meeting of visceral fear when interacting with police.

Dockstader described long-standing issues stretching back into his family history, including the police helping remove his grandmother, who was eight, for shipment to a residential school.

Goring related the experience of being stopped five times in three months for “driving while black” and the talk she had to have with her son about the dangers of interacting with the police.

“I want them to understand our officers are here to police the entire community, and they are committed, empathetic, and professional.

“Members of the public need not be afraid of approaching our officers,” MacCulloch said. “At the same time, I understand that everyone comes from different experiences and different backgrounds.

“It is in our best interest to deliver unbiased policing. The only way we can be effective is if we have public confidence.”

MacCulloch called the times “unprecedented” for policing.

“I can’t say enough about the men and women of the organization, both sworn and civilian,” he said. “We are in a pandemic, and they have stepped up and continued to provide policing services to our community in the most professional and responsible way.

“Despite criticism and being vilified in the media, what’s important is that we are different from our compatriots in the U.S.”

Bill Sawchuk is a St. Catharines-based reporter with the Standard. Reach him via email: william.sawchuk@niagaradailies.com