(Quebec) Shaken by the media coverage of several violent interventions and accusations of racial profiling, the Service de police de la Ville de Quebec (SPVQ) on Thursday announced a major project to make its police officers aware of “unconscious bias” and improve their ” cultural skills ”.
“We are aware that the events of the last few days can affect citizens’ confidence in the police service,” SPVQ chief Denis Turcotte said on Thursday.
The crisis at the SPVQ began with the violent arrest on November 27 of two black teenagers. Since then, several commentators have recalled that the police service of the second city in Quebec did not have any black police officers.
But the SPVQ has a plan. The chef presented it Thursday alongside Florence Harris, consultant in diversity, equity and inclusion in Quebec City.
“The approach is to equip our police officers to be able to face the new face of Quebec and the diversity that exists”, said Mme Harris.
Quebec police officers will therefore receive training on unconscious bias, which can lead to racial profiling.
“Unconscious biases, we all have them. Our brains make shortcuts to understand the world. We must be aware that we have them to work to reduce or eliminate them ”, notes Mme Harris.
The cultural skills of some 800 police officers will also be improved. She cites the example of a police officer who intervenes with a citizen of Mexican origin.
“In Mexico the police are very corrupt so the citizens are afraid of the police and will not go to the police. You are moving here to Quebec with these ideas, and you are afraid to open the door to a police officer, ”Mr.me Harris.
The SPVQ also asked a professor from Laval University to review its methods. Kamel Beji will have to determine in particular whether there is “systemic discrimination” within the service, “in the way of recruiting, of working and of giving services to citizens”.
A black policeman in 2022?
These measures are not the direct result of the crisis shaking the SPVQ, assures its director. They were simply accelerated.
The SPVQ has also set up a program to recruit visible minority police officers. Three candidates from visible minorities who have completed their police skills have started the hiring process.
“With what we have put in place since winter and spring, we would like to have some by 2022. People are targeted, have a program that we have put in place, but they still have to pass all the stages. of the hiring process, ”said Chief Turcotte.
Thursday’s announcement also concerns the muscular interventions that have been publicized in the past few weeks. The SPVQ asked the National Police Academy to refer it to an expert in the use of force to participate in its internal investigations.
Denis Turcotte thus hopes that an external eye will ensure an objective character to these investigations which must determine whether disciplinary measures will be taken against five police officers suspended with pay.
It should be remembered that the Police Ethics Commissioner is also investigating heavy-handed arrests in Quebec City, as is the Bureau of Independent Investigations.
Finally, the SPVQ wants to review “the mandate, composition and practices” of the GRIPP unit. This squad, which patrols bars and restaurants, is at the heart of several controversial interventions.