Back to Search
Police leaders across the Province have been unequivocal in standing with their communities to oppose racism in any form, including acts of racism and discrimination by police professionals. In a statement released on June 5, 2020, OACP President Chief Paul Pedersen stated:
“Racism, in any form, is evil. Recent demonstrations across North America have made it clear that racism – and specifically systemic racism – is an evil that continues to plague our society. As police professionals, we must be clear in denouncing it and fighting against racism, which drives a wedge between our dedicated police members and the public each of us has taken an oath to serve. We must also acknowledge that there is still work to be done to eliminate systemic racism in our own organizations and in our processes.”
The OACP welcomed the strong stance by our colleagues from the Association of Black Law Enforcers (ABLE) and the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) in opposing anti-Black racism as well as any form of racism.
The OACP Board of Directors is supporting local efforts to build bridges with members of communities that are expressing hurt and pain over unaddressed racism in our society, including in public institutions. The Board also discussed calls for “defunding” police services and agreed that police services need to clearly address why efforts to cut police budgets will not address issues of chronic underfunding of social and health services by governments.
Subscribe