Star investigation finds Peel police used force on Black people 3.2 times more than white people

A harrowing investigation by Toronto Star found that Peel police used force on Black people 3.2 times more often than white people in 2021.

The investigation, which was published today, also highlighted Peel officers were 3.7 times more likely to use force on Black people than white people in 2021. Star looked at stats from 2021 presented to the police services board and compared them to stats from 2020.

“The numbers are not a surprise to both police and the community — and they support long-known anecdotal reports,” wrote journalist Jason Miller.

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Len Carby, co-chair of the recently formed Anti-Racism Advisory Committee (ARAC), was interviewed by The Star and said the Black community has been waiting “a long time” to see change.

“It demonstrates that we have a long way to go. The changes we’ve seen are really incremental,” Carby said.

The Star reported that were 1121 use of force applications documented by Peel police in 2021 and 209 reports of injuries requiring medical attention.

ARAC will examine the data in greater detail and will make recommendations to Peel police.

The Star also looked at similar data released this year and reported that Toronto officers used force on Black people about four times more often than white people. Black Torontonians were five times more likely to have force used against them than white people.

You can read more about the investigation on the Star’s website.