Statistics Canada to start collecting race-based crime data in Canada’s official police-reported crime statistics
Date: July 20, 2020
Classification: Unclassified
Branch/Agency: PACB
Issue:
On July 15, 2020, Statistics Canada and the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police jointly announced they will work with communities, police and stakeholders to determine the best way for police to collect and report reliable data on Indigenous and racialized groups in police-reported crime statistics.
Proposed Response:
- I am pleased to see that Statistics Canada is committed to working with the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) to collect and report data on Indigenous and racialized groups in Canada’s official police-reported crime statistics.
- There is no room for racism or discrimination of any kind in any of Canada’s law enforcement agencies and institutions. Improving data is one way we can be more transparent and make our systems more just.
- This initiative is an important step to respond to systemic racism and public calls for action, including from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
- Understanding and reporting on police interactions with Indigenous and racialized communities represents a positive step forward to maintaining trust and delivering culturally competent policing services.
Background:
The collection of statistics on Indigenous and racialized groups has been a subject of discussion in Canadian policing for many decades. Some agencies in Canada have been collecting the statistics for decades, but this practice is not consistent across the country.
More recently, there has been a call for police to collect this type of data, with the Canadian Race Relations Foundation stating that:
“Collecting regular, accurate and reliable data on the relative socio-economic status of racial and ethnic groups and other dimensions of their identity, including gender, can be instrumental in confronting and eliminating racism and racial discrimination. The collection of race-based statistics can assist institutions, organizations, communities, policy makers, etc. to identify and better understand the scope of the problem and the measures to effectively address racial discrimination in employment, housing, education, law enforcement, access to government services, etc. Data collection is necessary to broaden the knowledge base on discrimination, set targets and benchmarks to measure progress towards equality, inform policy choices, influence budgetary allocations and monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of policy interventions.”
There have been increasing demands from community groups and the public for police to collect race-based data stemming from recent citizen-police interactions. There have also been numerous recommendations to police agencies from civilian oversight organizations, quasi-investigative commissions and agencies, as well as provincial governments. In Ontario’s recent 3-Year Anti-Racism Strategic Plan, specific commitments were made to fill these data needs.
Numerous reports, commissions and inquiries have also cited the need for quality data on Indigenous peoples’ experiences with Canada’s criminal justice system.Initiated in many ways by the Royal Commission on the prosecution of Donald Marshall, Jr., the experiences and over-representation of Aboriginal people in the justice system as a public policy issue gained momentum in the 1980’s and has been consistent over the years, culminating in recent reports of the MMIWG Commission and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Recent events with the police in the United States and Canada have put the need for these data front and centre as a means to inform future policing and community safety practices and policies.
Following the July 15, 2020, joint announcement of Statistics Canada and the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) discussions will be held with partners and stakeholders to inform this data collection and to identify ways of ensuring quality information.
There are two Statistics Canada surveys impacted by this announcement, the Homicide Survey and the Uniform Crime Reporting survey.
Through the Homicide Survey, Statistics Canada collects data about culpable homicides (murder, manslaughter or infanticide) committed in Canada. Since 2014, police have been providing complete information each year through the Homicide Survey on the Indigenous identity of victims and accused persons and this information is published each year by Statistics Canada. Furthermore, Statistics Canada’s Homicide Survey now collects information on the race of the victim. Data for 2019 will be published this fall.
In contrast, Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Survey collects data on criminal incidents that come to the attention of, and have been substantiated by, police. The UCR Survey does not currently collect police-reported data on whether or not the victim or accused person is part of a racialized group.
Contacts:
Prepared by: Karen Beattie, Manager, Strategic Policy and Research, 613-410-3530
Approved by: Jill Wherrett, ADM, Portfolio Affairs and Communications Branch, 613-949-6435
- Date modified: