NCJ Number
203432
Journal
Canadian Journal of Criminology and Criminal Justice Volume: 45 Issue: 3 Dated: July 2003 Pages: 347-366
Date Published
July 2003
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the issue of racial profiling by Toronto (Canada) police.
Abstract
In October 2002, the Toronto Star began a series of articles making claims that Blacks arrested by Toronto police were treated more harshly than Whites. Representatives of the police denied the accusations. Widespread public belief that police engage in racial profiling undermines public confidence in the police, as well as the credibility of the testimony and evidence submitted by police officers in criminal proceedings. In Toronto, the issue of racial profiling has become a significant threat to the ability of police to maintain order, ensure public safety, and prosecute those accused of criminal offenses. The claims by the Toronto Star were based on the newspaper’s own analysis of arrest data from the Toronto police’s Criminal Information Processing System (CIPS) from 1996 to 2002. CIPS only records incidents or police actions in which a person is arrested, charged, or ticketed. The Star focused its attention on two categories of offenses: arrests, charges, or ticketing of out-of-sight driver offenses arising from vehicle stops; and police dispositions of persons charged with single counts of simple drug possession offenses. The investigation revealed that 23.6 percent of incidents involved persons whose skin color was identified as Black and 63.8 percent as White. White suspects were released at the scene in 76.5 percent of cases, whereas those identified as Black, only 61.8 percent of the time. Fifteen percent of Blacks were held for a bail hearing, as compared with 7.3 percent of Whites. The Star concluded that this was evidence that police treat Blacks more harshly. It was concluded that once all legally relevant factors have been accounted for, differences in the treatment of groups according to race will remain. This in and of itself may not be evidence of actual discriminatory practices. In the absence of compelling evidence, the best research can conclude is the modest statement that the possibility of discrimination cannot be excluded. 2 figures, 8 notes, 22 references