Ottawa (Jan 9) – After two-years of extensive consultations in communities across Canada, the RCMP says it will pilot its Race-Based Data Collection Initiative in select detachments across the country starting this month.
The Race-Based Data Collection Initiative aims to collect, analyse and report race-based data to better understand the experiences of Indigenous, Black and other racialized individuals and communities in their interactions with RCMP frontline officers.
“This initiative is an important milestone in becoming a more modern and inclusive policing organization. The initiative isn’t about singling out individuals,” said RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme.
“It’s about helping us identify and improve our policies, practices, and training to better support our employees. The evidence-based solutions it provides can empower us to better serve communities,” Duheme explained.
Specifically, this will identify differences in policing outcomes for Indigenous, Black and other racialized communities. It is hoped that the initiative will enable data-driven decision making and policy development, build trust with communities and improve community safety outcomes.
The Race-Based Data Collection pilot will begin in Whitehorse, Yukon (M Division); the Wood Buffalo (Fort McMurray), Alberta (K Division); and Thompson, Manitoba (D Division), with two additional pilot sites – one in British Columbia (E Division), and one in Nova Scotia (H Division), to follow later this year.
These sites were chosen based on a number of factors including public consultations held throughout 2022 and 2023, the RCMP said in a statement.
“Piloting the Race-Based Data Collection Initiative will provide an opportunity for the RCMP to test processes and make improvements and adjustments before an anticipated future national rollout,” the statement read.
