Toronto police's race-based data on use of force, strip searches highlighted

Toronto police have released new data which shows that some races were significantly overrepresented in the nearly 1,000 use of force incidents that occurred in 2020.

The data shows racial disparities were present across most offence types and most call types.

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Police were more likely to utilize force against Black people, even when they were not perceived to be in possession of any weapons. They were also more likely to utilize the highest level of force available to them, which is the pointing of a firearm.

Here are some of the highlights from the data:

• There were 86,520 enforcement actions taken in 2020. Those enforcement actions resulted in 949 reportable use of force incidents involving 1,224 members of the public.
• Black people were overrepresented by a factor of 2.2 times in enforcement actions compared to their share of the population. Indigenous people were overrepresented by a factor of 1.6 and Middle Eastern people were overrepresented by a factor of 1.3.
• Black people were 2.3 times more likely to have firearms pointed at them when they were not perceived to be in possession of any weapons. At the same time white people were 1.4 times more likely to have less than lethal force utilized by police when they were perceived to be in possession of weapons.
• There were also racial disparities in use of force incidents involving the highest level of force, in which firearms were pointed. Those incidents were two times more likely to involve South Asian people and 1.5 times more likely to involve Black people.
• Black people and Middle Eastern people were overrepresented in both use of force incidents based on their share of the population and use of force incidents based on their share of individuals with enforcement actions. Indigenous people were overrepresented in enforcement actions by a factor of 1.5 but were underrepresented in the use of force data.
• Among those with one recent enforcement action Black people were overrepresented in the use of force data by a factor of 1.6. For individuals with at least five recent enforcement action, Black people were overrepresented by a factor of 1.5. Both Indigenous people and white people with recent enforcement actions were underrepresented in the use of force data.=
• Black people were overrepresented in use of force incidents across most call types. In the case of a violent call for service Black people were overrepresented by a factor of 1.2. But when it came to person in crisis calls they were overrepresented by a factor of 1.9.
• The racial disparities were found across most police divisions. There four policing divisions where 1.75 per cent or more of enforcement actions involving Black people resulted in use of force incidents. That threshold was not reached for white people in any division.
• When it came to offence type there were “small or no racial disproportionalities” in homicide and weapons investigations, according to the Toronto Police Service. But the data suggests that Black people were more likely to have use of force applied when it came to virtually every other offence. They were overrepresented by a factor of two when the offence was robbery and overrepresented by a factor of 1.8 for mischief and fraud offences.
• There were also racial disparities in strip search data. Indigenous people were overrepresented by a factor of 1.3 compared to their presence in all arrests. Black people and white people were both overrepresented by a factor of 1.1.
• For those with four or more recent arrests strip search rates increased by varying amounts which suggest some racial disparities in the data (2.9 times for Southeast Asian people, 2.6 times for white people, 1.7 times for Black people and 1.4 times for Indigenous people)
• White people were 1.5 times more likely to be strip searched following a break and enter arrest. But Black people were 1.7 times more likely to be strip searched following a weapons or homicide arrest.