Faced with withering criticism from two separate reviews, the police oversight board in Thunder Bay, Ont., has now accepted findings of racism within both the board and police service itself and said it planned a formal apology.
At a board meeting on Tuesday, a newly appointed administrator expressed acceptance of the findings by the Office of the Independent Police Review Director and the Ontario Civilian Police Commission.
“Having digested both reports, we acknowledge unequivocally that systemic racism exists in both the service and the board,” Tom Lockwood said. “By making this statement we want to acknowledge that the board has failed the Indigenous community.”
Lockwood, a lawyer, announced plans for a community circle early next month at which the board would “publicly acknowledge” the racism and apologize for it.
In one report last week, the Office of the Independent Police Review Director called the results of its two-year review of the Thunder Bay police service deeply troubling. Among other things, director Gerry McNeilly talked about a “crisis of trust” between police and the city’s Indigenous community.
He also noted shoddy investigations into the deaths of numerous Indigenous people, and said at least nine should be reinvestigated.
Sylvie Hauth, the city’s police chief, initially acknowledged only unspecified “systemic barriers in policing” that had to be addressed. However, in a statement at the board meeting on Tuesday, Hauth went further.
“The reports clearly state the need for a thoughtful and impactful plan to address the issues of systemic racism within the service and the board,” Hauth said.
She promised consultations in the new year to formulate a plan of action, and pledged to work with Lockwood in hopes the police service would be able to meet the “community’s expectations.”
In the second report last week, the Ontario Civilian Police Commission slammed the police services board itself for its “wilful blindness” to its own racism as well as that of the police force. The board, Sen. Murray Sinclair wrote in his review, had “perpetuated systemic discrimination that has directly impacted First Nation peoples.”
In response, the commission appointed Lockwood to assume the powers of the board as administrator until such time as members of a reconstituted board had undergone training, and proper policies and procedures had been put in place.
For her part, the board’s first Indigenous chair – appointed just 10 days ago – said the board was continuing to fulfil its responsibilities under Lockwood.
“Our intention is to move with alacrity to bring the board up to speed so that we can resume our full duties,” Celina Reitberger said. “I am confident that we are off to a good start and that the journey towards healing will continue apace.”
Lockwood said the emphasis now would be on training, and working to develop policies and procedures that are “vital to the proper operation of the board.” He also encouraged anyone wishing to serve on the board to send in their resumes.
“This is a new beginning for this board,” Lockwood said.
The Thunder Bay Police Association had said in a statement of its own that it understood the concerns of the Indigenous community but faulted the McNeilly report for failing to emphasize what it said was the hard work of officers and for omitting how much violent crime the force does solve.
“Will we make mistakes? Of course, we are not perfect, and we accept the responsibility for those mistakes,” the association statement said. “What we do not accept is the repeated accusations that our members are ‘racist.”‘
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