By: Kezia Royer-Burkett, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Burlington Local-News.ca
As public scrutiny around police use of force continues to grow, a central question remains largely unanswered: if racial disparities appeared as starkly in a municipal budget as they do in policing data, would corrective action be optional or immediate?
In Halton Region, Black male residents make up less than 2% of the population, yet account for between 15% and 20% of police use-of-force incidents, according to data submitted by police services to Ontario’s Solicitor General. The disparity has been consistent across multiple jurisdictions, including Toronto, Peel, Hamilton, York, London, and Windsor, suggesting the issue is not isolated to one community or police service.
McMaster University PhD student and sessional instructor Kojo Damptey says the responses to these findings reveal more about institutional mindset than statistical nuance.
“The response is very emblematic of how even police institutions see Black communities,” Damptey said, pointing specifically to repeated references to people “coming into” Halton as a way of contextualizing the numbers. “Black people are free to move wherever they want to go. So if you say these are people coming in, does that mean it’s okay to track Black people moving through a city?”
Damptey challenges the framing used by Halton Police Chief Stephen Tanner, who stated that of the 74 use-of-force incidents involving individuals perceived to be Black in 2024, 27 occurred outside Halton Region and only nine involved residents known to live within Halton. Chief Tanner added that “many people come into our communities to commit serious crimes,” arguing it is therefore not reasonable to infer that use of force is used disproportionately based on local demographics.
“The language itself is problematic,” Damptey said. “If the chief is saying these people are coming to commit crimes, then show us the data. Provide the specific instances. What were the calls? How did officers respond? Without that, it’s an assumption, not an explanation.”
READ MORE: Use-of-Force Data Raises Questions About Race, Policing, and Accountability in Halton
Damptey also notes that the province’s standardized reporting does not distinguish between local and joint police operations, making it unclear how such claims are being measured.
“Every police service submits data to the Solicitor General, and nowhere in that data does it say whether an incident involved another police service,” he said. “So why bring it up if it’s not being quantified?”
For Damptey, the issue is not simply about interpretation, but accountability. “I look at proportions,” he said. “In Halton, the Black male population is less than two percent, yet 15 to 20% of use-of-force incidents involve Black individuals. And when you see the same pattern everywhere, that’s the definition of systemic.”
Halton Police Board Chair Councillor Jeff Knoll maintains that accountability mechanisms are in place from a governance perspective. “The Board’s role is to ensure appropriate policy frameworks, training expectations, and accountability mechanisms are in place, and that the Chief of Police is held accountable for outcomes,” Knoll said. While the Board does not direct operational decisions, it requires regular reporting and oversight tied to its strategic plan, which prioritizes community trust and satisfaction.
Knoll says equity, diversity, and inclusion training is embedded throughout police education, including annual block training, mandatory online learning, and recruit instruction led by the People, Culture and Wellness Unit. He also points to his ongoing engagement with Black-led organizations, such as the Canadian Caribbean Association of Halton and the Halton Black History Awareness Society, as well as his participation in the Chief’s Diversity Roundtable Forum.
However, when asked how the impact of these partnerships is measured, Knoll acknowledged limitations. “The Board recognizes that the impact of community partnerships is not easily captured through traditional quantitative metrics,” he said, noting that effectiveness is evaluated largely through qualitative feedback and continuity of engagement.
That reliance on qualitative assessment is precisely what concerns Damptey. “If these workshops have been happening for 10 years and the data since 2020 shows no meaningful change, then what is the point?” he asked. “Multiculturalism does not equal anti-Black or anti-Indigenous racism work. You can sit at a multicultural table and still be anti-Black.”
Dennis Scott, chair of the Halton Black History Awareness Society, offers a more optimistic view of Halton Regional Police Service’s efforts, citing long-standing collaboration and recognition for diversity, de-escalation, and mental health training. Scott says Black-led organizations can play a key role by offering “methodologies, measurable goals, contingency plans, and consequences for negating systems and procedures,” and notes that Halton police have participated in HBHAS programs for over a decade.
Still, the central question remains unresolved: if budgetary disparities of this magnitude existed, would decision-makers accept explanations without measurable outcomes?
As Damptey puts it, “We now have the data. It’s their own data. And what we’re seeing are lacklustre responses around accountability and action. The question is no longer whether systemic issues exist, but whether institutions are willing to change how they respond when confronted with evidence.”
The Halton Police Board says it will review the 2025 use-of-force data when it is released this spring. For many community members, the expectation is clear: transparency without measurable change is no longer enough.
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