Toronto police released race-based data on Wednesday showing that Black residents faced a disproportionate amount of police enforcement and use of force in 2020. Here are some key figures:
– 22.6 per cent of police enforcement action was taken against Black people. That includes arrests, provincial offences tickets, cautions and diversions. Black residents made up about 10 per cent of Toronto's population.
– 949 use of force incidents involving 1,224 people were recorded in Toronto in 2020.
– 371 incidents involved a police firearm pointed at someone, and in four, it was fired. Two incidents led to fatal injuries
– 39.4 per cent of use of force incidents involved Black people.
– East or Southeast Asian people were 1.6 times more likely than white people to have a gun pointed at them, and South Asian people were twice as likely.
– Black people were 1.5 times more likely than white people to have a gun pointed at them when they were perceived to have a weapon and 2.3 times more likely when no weapon was perceived.
– When a violent incident was reported, Black people were 1.2 times more likely to experience use of force, and Indigenous people were 1.4 times more likely.
– When officers were called for a person in crisis, Black people were 1.9 times more likely to face use of force, and Indigenous people, 1.4 times more likely.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 15, 2022.
The Canadian Press
