April 2021 | Report by: Sophia Akhavan-Zanjani; Kelly Ninh; Juliana Prah; and Nerissa Sarawan
TO REFORM, DEFUND, ABOLISH: An Evaluation of Canadian Policing and Discriminatory Practices
Addressing anti-Black racism and initiating criminal justice reform are two important pillars for the Federation of Black Canadians. Given the history of police brutality, Black communities have experienced and public calls to defund the police, we conducted a survey to hear from our members to inform the Federation on what their thoughts are on the topic to help inform the FBC’s next steps. Since the survey was completed in the summer of 2020 the Federation partnered with the Public Good Initiative (PGI) on a research project to address racism in Canada’s criminal justice system and seek new possibilities for our community members. The FBC and PGI have been collaborating to delve deeper into the topic of Defunding the Police and broader discussions on community-centered alternatives to policing.
The Public Good Initiative is a consulting organization led by students from the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. Through our project, we asked the questions: What policies and programs aid in the creation of safer communities? What alternatives can we advocate for to address crime and remedy community needs?
To answer these questions, our research team reviewed current literature on policing reform & abolition and social programs that better communities.
Goals for this report:
Support robust conversations, advocacy work and events on the topic of policing (over 50 scholarly articles referenced in the final report)
Provide some examples various policing strategies in Canada and abroad
Provide some historical context to the conversation of Defund, Abolish and or Reform the Police
Provide a stepping stone to engage our provincial hubs in the conversation around how they are affected by police and the justice system in their communities and what needs to change
Addressing anti-Black racism and initiating criminal justice reform are two important pillars for the Federation of Black Canadians. Given the history of police brutality, Black communities have experienced and public calls to defund the police, we conducted a survey to hear from our members to inform the Federation on what their thoughts are on the topic to help inform the FBC’s next steps. Since the survey was completed in the summer of 2020 the Federation partnered with the Public Good Initiative (PGI) on a research project to address racism in Canada’s criminal justice system and seek new possibilities for our community members. The FBC and PGI have been collaborating to delve deeper into the topic of Defunding the Police and broader discussions on community-centered alternatives to policing.
The Public Good Initiative is a consulting organization led by students from the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. Through our project, we asked the questions: What policies and programs aid in the creation of safer communities? What alternatives can we advocate for to address crime and remedy community needs?
To answer these questions, our research team reviewed current literature on policing reform & abolition and social programs that better communities.
Goals for this report:
Support robust conversations, advocacy work and events on the topic of policing (over 50 scholarly articles referenced in the final report)
Provide some examples various policing strategies in Canada and abroad
Provide some historical context to the conversation of Defund, Abolish and or Reform the Police
Provide a stepping stone to engage our provincial hubs in the conversation around how they are affected by police and the justice system in their communities and what needs to change
Recent high-profile cases of police brutality have highlighted that those who are most likely to bear the brunt of police scrutiny and violence are Black people and other minorities (Gerster, 2019). The use of excessive force contributes to the alienation of citizens from the police, and the resultant lack of trust between police forces and marginalized populations is particularly damaging for Black and Indigenous communities (Goldsmith, 2005).
Therefore, this report focuses on alternatives to policing to reduce crime, with the ultimate goal of ensuring that Black and Indigenous people in Canada can live and participate safely and freely within society. To that end, this report: (1) evaluates the Canadian context through an analysis of existing data on police reform, abolition, and defundment, (2) provides research on community support, restorative justice, and transformative justice efforts, and (3) identifies and evaluates countries with significant police reform measures and practices of police disarmament.
In order to address the anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism that exists in the criminal justice system, the findings outlined in this report have been organized in a manner such that they: (1) establish the history and current context and analysis of policing within Canada— such as the impact and emergence of police reform, defundment, and abolition movements, and (2) evaluate actionable solutions and alternatives to policing that align with the Defund/Abolish movement. Ultimately, the purpose of this report is to bridge the gaps in existing policy discourse by recommending strategies that support the Federation of Black Canadians guiding principle, namely, creating an equitable society where Black people may prosper and participate freely. This report aims to highlight that policing in Canada disproportionately targets and perpetuates violence against Black and Indigenous communities, as well as to demonstrate that there are viable alternatives and improvements to policing that can be applied within the Canadian context.