First person of colour elected as new chair of the Halifax Board of Police Commissioners

Natalie Borden who is one of the few women to hold the position of new chair of the Halifax Board of Police Commissioners has been elected on Wednesday.

She will also be the first person of colour to head the board.

The Halifax Board of Police Commissioners provides civilian governance and oversight for the Halifax Regional Police on behalf of Regional Council.

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The Board also functions as a Police Advisory Board to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Halifax District as it performs contractual policing services within the Halifax Regional Municipality.

“It’s a pretty big expectation,” said Borden.

“There is a recognition that the perspective of people who look like me is very important. We tend to have issues from a policing perspective, we tend to be engaged in the justice system perhaps more so than other groups so I think my goal is going to be to use my experience to make as much influence and bring about as much positive change as I can.”

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Borden has been with the board since 2018.  She works as a pharmacist and is also involved with the Nova Scotia Community College’s African Nova Scotian Student Tutoring Program and the Nova Scotia’s Barristers’ society.

Borden is replacing former Municipal Councillor Steve Craig, who resigned after being elected as the progressive conservative MLA for Sackville-Cobequid.

Borden said she’s thankful that her fellow commissioners chose her for the role.

“I think there’s a lot to do and I’m up to the challenge,” she said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I think there's a lot to do and I'm up to the challenge," she said.

One of the challenges faced by the the board is the ongoing work in response to the Wortley Report.

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The report was released in March and recommended banning or strictly regulating street checks after it found that black males were nine times more likely to be stopped by police than the general population.

In response, Justice Minister Mark Furey directed police forces across the province to immediately suspend street checks of pedestrians and passengers in motor vehicles, but would not implement a full ban.

Borden said her focus and the focus of the board when it comes to street checks is equity.

“How do we make sure what is being done is appropriate given the laws and the guidelines under which police work, how do we support the police in a very challenging and difficult environment and how do we do the right thing by the community?,” she said.

READ MORE: Halifax Board of Police Commissioners to seek opinion on legality of street checks

The board’s role is to provide civilian oversight in policing in the municipality, but can not have direct influence on police operations. In terms of street checks, Borden said they have been working closely with the Justice Minister and are also working closely with police to promote more community engagement.

“It’s really maintaining that balance and sticking to that strategic part of things, the planning,” said Borden.

As Borden settles into her new role she said she also hopes she can be an example to the community and pave the way forward for other people of colour.

“Being an example potentially to youth in our community showing them that there certainly are opportunities for people who look like us, to me that’s the most important thing,” said Borden.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Being an example potentially to youth in our community showing them that there certainly are opportunities for people who look like us, to me that's the most important thing," said Borden.