I am sure like me, many of you are watching what is happening in the US and probably being very grateful that you live in Canada.
The US has a horrible problem with how black people are treated by police and the justice system. I wanted to talk about systematic racism in Canada with regards to the justice system.
When you see criminal records all day, you come to a very simple conclusion. Black people are sentenced more harshly than white people. I don't think many people are surprised by that, and I bet if I showed a judge or prosecutor, they would argue that "the details are different" for each case.
They are, but its clear that sentences are harsher, regardless of why.
Being in Brampton, I deal with the Peel Police records division. I have often argued with them, because they have always refused to mail local police checks.
Years ago I fought with the records division about this, mainly because I knew the head of the records division had said some comments that were blatantly racist, and had even taken actions to prevent people from getting pardons. For example, when I explained that I had clients of social services getting pardons, and that many of my clients were single moms who didn't drive she was outraged that they were getting financial assistance to get pardons.
She then wrote a threatening email to Peel social services, and they STOPPED paying for Pardons. Imagine this, a POLICE OFFICER wrote a social services organization to prevent people from getting pardons.
During Covid, we finally had the excuse to get Peel Police to finally mail the local police check and they did. Today they informed me that they would not longer mail it out. The client must either notarize their ID, or they must make an appointment 9-3 during the week, to show the ID to an officer.
Don't forget, Peel Police will DO criminal record searches ONLINE. They claim they must take THIS step for privacy issues. I explained that "no one is sealing records behind someones back" and that with the form they need to fill out, we send ID, and a COPY OF THEIR CRIMINAL RECORD. Therefore the only reason they could be doing this, is to TARGET people applying for pardons. Make is as expensive (it is $92 and a regular check is $45) as possible and as inconvenient as possible.
I explained that this policy was absolutely racist. The police officer on the phone could either NOT see why, or like most white people, are willfully blind to it. I am escalating this up the chain, but the attitude Peel has shown in the past has been overwhelmingly poor. I should mention that Halton, Toronto, York and Durham (equally large police forces, have always been very professional and accommodating.
I think real change does not come when black people protest, I think it will come when white people take a stand, both in Canada and the United States and take ACTION for change.