ADDRESSING SYSTEMIC RACISM AT THE CALGARY POLICE

ISC Unclassified

ANNUAL REVIEW | 1

ADDRESSING SYSTEMIC RACISM AT

THE CALGARY POLICE SERVICE

Y E A R O N E D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 0 - 2 0 2 1

ANNUAL REVIEW | 2

LAND AC K NOWL EDGEMENT

In th is t ime o f recon ci lia tion , it' s imp or tan t that w e rec ogn i ze w e

a re in th e t radi tion a l Bl ack fo ot t err it or y a n d giv e p ro p er

rec o gn it io n an d h o nour to th e o r igin al Treat y 7 nat io n s o f th i s

l an d.

Th i s inc lu d es th e Blac kfoo t Con fed e rac y o f th e Sik sika , Ka in ai , and

P i ikan i Nat ion s an d th e Tsu u T' in a Na t io n an d th e Ston ey Na kota

p eop le of th e Bea rsp a w Ch in ik i and We sl ey Na tion s. We al so wa n t

to a c kn ow l edg e th e Met i s Natio n of Alb er ta , who sh a re a d eep

co n n ect ion to th is lan d .

F ina lly, w e a c k no wl ed ge eve ry on e wh o make s the ir ho m e in th e

Tr ea ty 7 re g io n

south ern

A lb erta.

ANNUAL REVIEW | 3

OUR C OM M I TMENT

 
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Contents 
YEAR ONE DECEMBER 2020-2021 1 
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 2 
OUR COMMITMENT 3 
I.  EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 5 
II.  INTRODUCTION 6 
A.  Racism, a lived experience 6 
B.  Unmarked Graves 6 
C.  George Floyd 6 
D.  Notice of Motion (NOM) 7 
E.  Anti-Racism and Inclusion 7 
III.  OUR INVESTMENT 8 
A.  Community Safety Investment Framework (CSIF) 8 
B.  Governance 8 
C.  Research & Promising Practices 8 
D.  International, Federal, Provincial, & Municipal Recommendations 9 
IV.  OUR ENGAGEMENT 10 
A.  ARAC Recruitment 10 
B.  ARAC Meetings 10 
C.  External ARAC 11 
D.  Internal ARAC 11 
E.  Advisory Boards/Circle 12 
F.  CPC Illumina Research 13 
G.  City of Calgary Partnership 13 
H.  Public Engagement  13 
I.  Engagement Challenges 13 
V.  WHAT WE HAVE DONE 15 
A.  Progressed Our Commitment 15 
B.  Amplified Racialized Voices 15 
C.  Amplified Member Voices 16 
d. Changed Policies, Practices and Procedures 17 
E.  Partnered with Subject Matter Experts (SME) 17 
F.  The Narrative 18 
G.  Our Deliverables 18 
VI.  WHAT IS NEXT 19 
A.  CPS Anti-Racism Strategy 19 
B.  Two Way Engagement 19 
C.  CPS Anti-Racism Policy 19 
d. Change Management & Training 19 
D.  Our Commitment incorporated into our Strategic Plan 19 
E.  Evaluation 20 
 
VII.   Attachment: Our Commitment 
VIII.  Attachment: CPS Anti-Racism Impact Stories 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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P R O G R E S S E D

O U R

C O M M I T M E N T

A M P L I F I ED

R A C I A L I Z E D

V O I C E S

A M P L I F I ED

M E M B E R V O I C E S

C H A N G E D

P O L I C I E S ,

P R A C TIC E S A N D

P R O C E D U R E S

P A R T N E R ED

W I T H S U B J E C T

M A T T E R

E X P E R T S

W H A T ' S N E X T

1. Launch draft of Anti-

Racism Strategy in Q1

2022.

2. Prioritize integration of

internal and external

dialogue.

3. Develop a CPS Anti-Racism

Policy.

4. Prioritize change

management and training.

5. Ensure Our Commitments

are resourced, progressed,

and reported through the

Annual Policing Plan (APP).

I. EX EC U TIVE

SUM M ARY

After the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, and the subsequent

conviction of Derek Chauvin for his murder, global protests demanded

systemic racism be addressed and for police reform in crisis response. In

addition, the discovery of unmarked graves in 2021 of Residential school

children reinforced our commitment to the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to

Action.

The City of Calgary public hearings and panels reignited the fight against

racism at a personal, institutional, and systemic level locally. As a result, in

September 2020, the Calgary Police Service (CPS) presented to City Council

and citizens of Calgary its commitments to anti-racism. The CPS’ Chief Mark

Neufeld stated that the CPS would be relentless in our pursuit of dismantling

systemic racism and becoming an anti-racist, equitable and inclusive police

service. To support this commitment, the CPS has invested a total of $4.2

million in cash and in-kind salary to date. Each commitment area has a year-

end summary at the end of this report.

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS

✓ Anti-racism lens to elevate the racialized community and CPS member

voices in participatory problem solving.

✓ Amendment to the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) Decision Requests to

include an anti-racism lens.

✓ 129 hours of dedicated anti-racism work in policing to create a safe space

for voicing concerns and creating solutions.

✓ Amendment of the Code of Conduct policy for sworn members based on

Anti-Racism Action Committee (ARAC) feedback in December 2021.

✓ Reduced barriers to accessing CPS systems and services by adding

language translation (Alarm Bylaw Operating System, Crime Prevention

materials and Police Information Check Unit) in December 2021.

✓ 85 percent of ARAC members reported that the Anti-Racism Speaker

Series were helpful to the work of the Committee.

✓ CPS half-day training workshop with Internal ARAC on unconscious bias.

✓ Gap analysis of Race-Based Data categorizations in all CPS systems

conducted to inform Statistics Canada.

✓ 74% of Body-Worn Camera (BWC) recommendations were prioritized

based on risk, organizational impact, and resourcing.

✓ $6.2M of the $8M CSIF budget has been awarded in 2021. The remaining

$1.8M was set aside for the design of new crisis response in 2022.

✓ From May through September 2021, CSIF funded programs supported

4,712 individuals and completed over 29,000 contacts.

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Th e Jus tic e Sys tem

has "a long history of racialized

people being frequently stopped

by the police, at a greater risk of

police violence, and

disproportionately killed by

the police."

C PS E mploy ees in

2 02 1

• 27% of equity-seeking CPS

employees reported facing

discrimination based on race in

the workplace.

II. INTRO DUC TIO N

A. RAC I S M , A L I V E D E X P E R I E N CE

The Canadian criminal justice system, as a product of colonialism, is

systemically racist, where racialized communities are disproportionately

overrepresented.

Colonialism has survived in our systems and contributes to

deteriorated trust and public confidence in policing, especially with

Indigenous and Black citizens.

When police services claim colourblindness as

a response, it is viewed as "a disregard for historical context and the

experiences of community members who are often racially stereotyped."

the recent Calgary Police Commission (CPC) consultation, a majority of Black

and Indigenous citizens reported they are treated differently by police

because of their skin colour and that officer treatment is based on

stereotypes.

This lived experience from racialized communities is acknowledged by police

officers. Seven in ten CPS employees agree they understand the meaning of

systemic racism and are committed to helping address it at the CPS. Equally,

one-quarter of employees identified as a member of an equity-seeking

group.

This could be up to 40% if we include the group that chose not to self-

identify.

Race-based discrimination is a lived experience for many employees

and reinforces the need for change.

B. U N M A R K E D G R A VES

The discovery of unmarked graves across the country in 2021 of Residential

school children reinforced the need to follow through with the Truth and

Reconciliation Calls to Action. Through our Indigenous Advisory Circle, we

have heard that systemic racism and inter-generational trauma have resulted

in the over-representation of Indigenous people in the criminal justice system

as victims, witnesses, and offenders. These underlying issues cannot be

addressed through conventional policing processes. Therefore, culturally

appropriate, traditional Indigenous healing, ceremony and practices should

be utilized to ensure respectful and equitable service delivery.

C. G E O R G E F L O Y D

After the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, and the subsequent

conviction of Derek Chauvin for his murder, global protests called for the

dismantling of systemic racism in parallel with the crisis response reformation

in policing. The City of Calgary public hearings and panels reignited the fight

against racism at a personal, institutional, and systemic level locally.

In September 2020, the CPS presented to City Council and citizens of Calgary

its commitments to anti-racism. The Calgary Police Service's Chief Mark

Neufeld stated that the CPS would be relentless in our pursuit of dismantling

systemic racism and becoming an anti-racist, equitable and inclusive police

service.

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N O M E VO LUTI ON

For the evolution of the NOM

language related to the 10 projects

and areas within our Service

please click here.

Workin g D ef in ition

of Syst emic Rac is m:

Systemic racism is embedded in an

institution's policies, procedures,

and processes, based on negative

beliefs, attitudes, and ideologies

towards racialized people that

exclude disadvantage or harm.

These are reinforced by systems of

power that create inequities, and

no individual intent is required.

D. NOT I C E O F M O T I O N ( N O M )

In September 2020, the CPS made anti-racism and inclusion commitments

based on the themes presented from a response to a Council Notice of

Motion. Figure 1 shows Our Commitment today. Our anti-racism and inclusion

work is an opportunity to embrace the principles of community-based

policing, our core values and to acknowledge that systemic racism results in

unequal outcomes for our members and citizens. To that end, every member

of the organization, sworn and civilian, has a vital role in this pursuit.

F igu re 1

E. A N T I - R A C I S M A N D I N C L U S I O N

Inclusion is our aspiration. Racism is a lived experience that prevents us from

reaching our inclusion goals. As a result, we are laser-focused on cultivating

an anti-racist police culture. Racism kills people in all societies. This is a global

movement for a reason, but racism is not just a CPS issue. It is a government

issue, an Education and Health Care issue, and requires deep personal self-

reflection. Our goal is to listen, learn, and be authentic as we eliminate

structures and systems that advantage some and disadvantage others.

We acknowledge that racist acts and conversations exist in the workplace and

that policies, practices and standard operating procedures may reinforce this

behaviour. However, it is not the same as stereotyping all individuals within

that institution or system as racist people who champion racist behaviours

and actions with every interaction. Our focus on anti-racism is not intended

to be exclusionary. The pandemic has further identified the urgency of anti-

racism efforts across sectors.

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D ed ic ated

Re sou rc e s

• 21,759 hours of CPS sworn

and civilian time in 2021.

• The combined investment in

2021 of 4.2 million dollars to

progress Our Commitment

(Figure 2).

E xec u tive

Le ad er sh ip Tea m

( ELT )

• The Chief Constable and four

Deputy Chiefs.

• Deputy Chief Katie McLellan

and Deputy Chief Raj Gill are

the Executive Sponsors of

Our Commitment.

• The CPS reports monthly to

the CPC Anti-Racism

Committee and full CPC.

III. O UR I NVESTMENT

A. C O M M U N I T Y S A F E T Y

I N V E S T M E N T F R A M E W O R K

( C S I F )

CSIF is a joint effort between the City of Calgary and the CPS. Both

organizations contributed eight million dollars (total 16 million) to transform

Calgary's crisis response system by addressing gaps in crisis services for

individuals, their families and support networks; outreach services; and the

emergency response system in Calgary, including filling any racial gaps with

culturally appropriate services. In addition to our CSIF partnership, the CPS

has reallocated additional financial and staff time investments to Our

Commitment.

F igure 2

B. G O V E R N A N CE

The Calgary Police Commission (CPC) provides civilian oversight and

governance to the CPS. Members of the CPC are citizen volunteers appointed

by the Calgary City Council under the Alberta Police Act. There are ten citizen

members and two City Councilors.

The ELT oversees decision-making for capital and operating expenditures,

human resource planning, project prioritization, and allocation of resources.

In addition, the ELT reports progress on the strategic and business plans to

the CPC.

C. R E S E A R C H & P R O M I S I N G

PRA C T I C E S

The CPS contracted Dr. Patrina Duhaney of the University of Calgary to

conduct an environmental scan, promising practices literature review, and to

make recommendations to inform the development of our Anti-Racism

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C PS Ben ch mark

The Calgary Police Service is one

of 4 agencies in 5 countries

actively defining and addressing

anti-racism distinctly from equity,

diversity, and inclusion.

• Toronto Police Service.

• New York Police Department.

• Service de police de

l’agglomération de Longueuil.

An t i- Rac is m

Re co mm en dat ions

The CPS spent the last year

compiling 214 anti-racism

recommendations from around

the world to inform our work. We

identified the following focus

areas:

• Accountability.

• Budget.

• Collaborative systems

change.

• Complaints.

• Empathy.

• Evaluation.

• Human Resources.

• Inclusivity.

• Legislation.

• Operational.

• Policing Model.

• Race-based data.

• Recruitment.

• Restorative Justice and

Training.

Strategy.

Dr. Patrina Duhaney is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Social Work.

Her research is informed by critical race feminism and focuses on race, crime,

and criminalization. In particular, she examines Black women's experiences of

intimate partner violence and with police. Her second research area focuses

on racialized people's experiences in academia. She is also the co-chair of the

Anti-Black Racism Task Force at the University.

ENVIRONMENTAL SCAN

The CPS is one of four law enforcement agencies in five countries actively

defining, acknowledging, and addressing anti-racism in addition to equity,

diversity, and inclusion. The scan included over 100 police services in five

countries (Canada, the United States, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and

Australia) to identify promising anti-racism, equity, diversity, and inclusion

practices. The majority did not address anti-racism, choosing the language of

diversity, inclusion, and equity. Dr. Duhaney spoke to these limitations by

stating that "a concentration on diversity alone is not sufficient to eradicate

racism."

Dr. Duhaney's full report can be found here.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Still in draft form, the literature review was conducted to (a) better

understand the state of knowledge in the policing literature (b) ascertain

strategies to build and sustain trust in racialized communities; (c) identify the

role of racialized communities in the development and implementation of

anti-racism and or equity diversity and inclusion (EDI) strategies; and (d)

establish the context for further research and action.

D. I N T E R N A T I O N A L , F E D E R A L ,

P R O V I N C I A L , & M U N I C I P A L

R E C O M M E N D A T I O N S

For the past year, the CPS has collected anti-racism recommendations from

governments and organizations worldwide to assess and integrate into the

Anti-Racism Strategy.

These vary from principles-based statements to "adopt whole-of-government

and whole-of-society reforms"

to tangible actions including" create a

nationwide database of police use of force incidents."

We have themed the

recommendations into the focus areas listed on the left-hand side of this

page. We will continue to analyze these recommendations into Q1 2022 to

inform our strategy due Q1 2022.

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Int erna l an d

E xt erna l A RAC s

E stab li sh ed by

Ma rc h 20 21

• 10 Citizens on the External

ARAC as of December 2021.

• 52 CPS members (70% sworn

and 30% civilian) on the

Internal ARAC as December

2021.

E xt erna l A RAC

Top ic s in 2 021

• School Resource Officer

(SRO) program evaluation.

• Info Posts (Officer Street

Checks).

• Equity, Diversity, and

Inclusion Tool.

• Professional Standards

Officer Complaint process.

• Thin Blue Line Insignia.

• Race-based Data.

• Protests and Hate Crimes.

IV. O UR ENGAGEM ENT

A. A R A C R E C R U I T M E N T

The CPS received 214 applications that undertook a predetermined detailed

selection process. The complete list was submitted to Human Resources for

initial pre-screening based on the requirements in the recruitment letter.

External applicants were placed into three categories: candidates that met

qualifications, potential candidates, and candidates that did not meet

qualifications. Candidates that met the qualifications were short-listed for the

CPS Selection Committee. Internal applications submitted a cover letter

detailing their interest in participating on the Committee. In addition, the

Internal ARAC received interest from almost 60 sworn and civilian members in

the forms of covering letters submitted to the ARAC Leads.

In March 2021, the Committees were formed and termed the Internal and

External Anti-Racism Action Committees. Upon establishment, all Committee

members signed a Terms of Reference outlining the Committees' purpose,

mandate, and expected outcomes. The External ARAC was initially comprised of

15 citizens however currently has 10 members due to unforeseen circumstances

such as revised volunteer time commitments. Further departures from the

External Anti-Racism Action Committee were due to the loss of Dr. Darren Lund,

a career change, relocation, and breach of an NDA as examples of reasons why

members left the Anti-Racism Action Committee

B. A R A C M E E T I N G S

CPS Internal and External ARAC members participate in monthly conversations

that add value, influence decisions, and guide the development of the Anti-

Racism Strategy. All participants also engaged in one-on-one discussions with

the ARAC leads at least once and provided survey feedback. A key deliverable at

the end of each engagement meeting with both the CPS Internal and External

ARAC members is a What We Heard Report (WWHR).

External and Internal Committee members attended their first group meeting in

March 2021. Key emerging themes from both initial meetings included:

• Committee members reported excitement for the momentum for anti-

racism action in Calgary, and they shared a consistent desire to translate

the momentum into action.

• Many members shared that they want the Committee's work to be

action-oriented, solution-focused, and not just another conversation.

• Members reported being proud to be on this transformational journey.

• Some members shared their lived experiences as a victim of racism.

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E xt erna l ARAC

Id ent if i ed Ac tion s

1. Anti-racism policy.

2. Anti-racism audit.

3. Language and

communications.

4. Missing and Murdered

Indigenous Women and Girls

(MMIWG).

5. Accountability.

6. Indigenous distinct from

diversity.

7. Equitable service delivery.

8. Closure of existing ARAC

recommendations.

9. Police leadership within the

justice system.

10. Race-based data.

11. Training.

12. A sub-committee for

implementation.

Int erna l A RAC

• In August 2021, 65% of

Internal ARAC members

reported their knowledge of

systemic racism increased

since March 2021.

December 2021, this number

increased to 80%.

• 70% reported sharing

resources with co-workers.

• 86% reported feeling valued

and supported as a member

of the Internal ARAC.

• 100% of members reported

their supervisor supported

their participation on the

Committee.

• Members discussed the need for action that translates into everyone

feeling safe in Calgary.

• Members acknowledged that this work would not be easy.

C. E X T E R N A L A R A C

A key priority for Our Commitments has been community consultation and our

focus on including racialized Calgarians' voices in our decision-making processes.

Since March 2021, the External ARAC members have attended nine (9)

Committee meetings. Meetings have been a blend of updates, presentations,

and discussions.

In June 2021, members identified 17 action items related to Body-worn camera

(2), Complaint process (6), Training (5), Budget (2), Patrol (1) and Recruitment

(1). Most of these actions were questions or requests for more information. For

example, 35% related to wanting more information as well as transparency on

the complaints process.

These presentations aim to provide the Committee members with an

understanding of CPS operations and a foundation to support the development

of components of the Anti-Racism Strategy. In one-on-one sessions, External

members appreciated learning more about CPS operations.

In November 2021, the External ARAC identified twelve actionable anti-racism

action items, which provide a blueprint for the drafted Anti-Racism Strategy.

D. I N T E R N A L A R A C

We started this journey with a simple All Personnel Memo (APM) to our

membership on December 18, 2020, asking for guidance on the Anti-Racism

Action Committee. The responses, commitment, willingness to learn, self-

reflect, and be part of the solution were terrific. Our Internal ARAC is comprised

of approximately 52 sworn and civilian members. Some members have left the

Committee for personal and professional reasons, which is respected. Many

have also chosen to stay the course despite the challenges and frustrations with

the pace of the Committee's work. We have turned many corners together and

have taken equal steps backwards. Still, a core group is committed to engaging

in participatory solutions to acknowledge, address, and make meaningful

change to eliminate racism and discrimination in all its forms within our Service.

In December 2021, 83% reported integrating their learnings into daily activities

or work areas.

Members feel that there is a safe space for them to come forward and speak of

their lived experiences of racism and discrimination within the workplace.

Members are also taking it upon themselves to address and eliminate racist and

discriminatory conversations and behaviour in the workplace. In addition,

business units are coming forward, actively changing business practices to

increase racial equity and remove barriers to accessing our programs and

services.

ANNUAL REVIEW | 12

Co m mi tm ent A r ea

E n gag em en t

• Commitment areas

conducted additional

engagement with

stakeholders.

• For example, 111 internal

and external stakeholders

were engaged to improve the

body-worn camera (BWC)

and in-car video (ICV)

programs.

• Indigenous Elders and

Knowledge Keepers, The

Indigenous Advisory Circle

and various Indigenous

Community members and

agencies were engaged for

the Indigenous Roadmap.

• The CPS submitted 100

community organization and

agency names to Statistics

Canada for Calgary-based

consultation on race-based

data.

Ad v iso r y

B o a rd/C irc l e

Po r tfo lio s

• Asia.

• Africa.

• Caribbean/Latin America.

• Gender and Sexual Diversity.

This is all happening while our Service is trying to manage competing stressors

of low morale, media scrutiny, staffing concerns, workload stressors, and the

health and wellness of themselves and their families. This is daunting, so we

must and will responsibly meet people where there are at along this journey.

We look forward to 2022 and more interface with our Committees,

Boards/Circle, and communities as we continue along the path of being anti-

racist leaders within an anti-racist organization.

F igu re 3

E. A D V I S O R Y B O A R D / C I R C L E

The 10 Advisory Boards/Circle are comprised of community members with

cultural knowledge, lived experience and relationships that assist the CPS in

improving their service to all Calgarians. Advisory Boards/Circle perform an

independent advisory function to the CPS membership on community needs.

Advisory Boards/Circle work to ensure they are serving all community members

equitably and work together to ensure equity, diversity, and inclusiveness in all

policing functions.

The Superboard and Youth Advisory Boards were established in 2021 to

integrate information with all boards and include our youth's voices. For

decades, the other Boards/Circle have existed as an integral part of CPS

community engagement. Typically, these Boards/Circle have 11-13

representatives, and each Board/Circle is assigned a Constable from the

Diversity Resource Team (DRT) under the Community Services Section (CSS).

91 youth applied to be part of the CPS Youth Advisory Board and 12 were

selected to prioritize the concerns of youth. Their focus is not specific to anti-

racism, but links to the NOM recommendation improve community

engagement. They have developed a logo and launched a digital poster for

social media.

ANNUAL REVIEW | 13

• Indigenous.

• Middle East, Europe, and

Russia.

• Persons with Disabilities.

• South Asia.

• Superboard.

• Youth Advisory Board.

C it i zen

Con su ltat io n in

Ca l ga ry

• Black and Indigenous

Calgarians report they

believe they are treated

differently by police because

of their skin colour and that

officer treatment is based on

stereotypes.

F.C P C I L L U M I N A R E S E A R C H

The 2021 CPC invested in research with Illumina Research which has been

invaluable for our work. The information reported from the CPC Consultation

with Citizens, Black and Indigenous, and the CPC Annual Employee Report has

provided a baseline for this work moving forward. The specific insights related

to the need to address systemic racism at CPS, included more diversity in CPS

ranks, mandatory anti-racism and cultural competency training, and more

community opportunities for positive interactions with police, have informed

Our Commitment. The anti-racism and inclusion survey results, specifically from

equity-seeking members, will be a baseline for the strategy moving forward.

G. C I T Y O F C A L G A R Y P A R T N E R S H I P

The CPS works in step with the City of Calgary Anti-Racism Program Team

through a working group that has met bi-weekly over the past year. The Vision

and Mission of the City of Calgary team is to catalyze actions to mitigate and

remove systemic racism for Indigenous and racialized people in Calgary. The

mission is to remove systemic racism through education, engagement,

collaboration, and policy changes to lead to a racially just Calgary.

The City’s Anti-Racism Program has three streams: Organizational, Community,

and Public Safety. The work is done by several staff members: a manager, Public

Safety, Community, and Organizational Lead, two strategic Advisors, a Research

Social Planner, and a Learning and Development consultant, all full-time. A

Communications and Engagement planner work with the team part-time.

H. P U B L I C E N G A G E M E N T

The CPS partnered with the City of Calgary’s Community Stream in the public

engagement launched August 20, 2021. The Community Stream seeks to

advance positive anti-racism outcomes for the community. Work in this stream

includes:

• The development of a community anti-racism action strategy.

• Support for the Anti-Racism Action Committee (ARAC).

• A continued interface for the community and The City of Calgary.

Community engagement is currently underway to inform the community-based

Anti-Racism Strategy. The CPS looks forward to integrating the results of this

engagement into the Anti-Racism Strategy.

I. E N G A G E M E N T C H A L L E N G E S

The pace and complexity of anti-racism work is challenging, developing

connections when members and community need it most but are limited to

online platforms due to the global pandemic. The traction needed to address

systemic racism has slowed due to COVID. This work requires relationship

building and difficult conversations that are harder in an online platform.

To paraphrase Jacqueline Edwards, President of the Black Law Enforcers, there

is a difference between being confrontational and confronting racism. In the

ANNUAL REVIEW | 14

absence of confronting racism, it is all for not. We must confront the unequal

power dynamics between groups and within the structures that perpetuate

them.

We are moving in the right direction, but Internal and External membership

remains vocally frustrated with the pace of the work. Internally, for every

positive comment voiced, six negative ones follow.

We will continue to build

our foundations. Part of these foundations is the critical integration of a

contracted therapist with working knowledge of racial trauma.

TRAUMA THERAPIST YEAR END ASSESSMENT

When approaching the CPS ARAC work form a trauma perspective, it is

important to acknowledge that trauma happens interpersonally among people

and intra-personally within an individual. It is essential to acknowledge racial

trauma as we continue the ARAC work. The concept of race has an energy and

charge to it, which we must acknowledge and address to move forward.

Dialoguing alone is not the way forward, container building, to contextualize and

hold the charge is key. The failure to build these containers will lead to the blow

up of the charge and we will have a hard time coming back because there are

now cracks in working relationships. We must respect the charge of race, if not

we will be pushing people back into protective mechanisms

The challenges observed when taking into consideration the overall population

of the CPS who were engaged in the ARAC work, it has been observed that

approximately 25 percent tend to fall into the category of "change champions”.

These individuals have their containers already built to carry the charge of the

anti-racism work. The category of "teachable champions" comprise

approximately 50 percent of the group, who we can work with and with whom

majority of the work will be focused towards, these are individuals who are

willing and continue to build their containers. The remaining approximately 25

percent, tend to fall into the category of "disruptors”, they struggle to build their

containers.

When considering pathways forward, it is essential to build ongoing systems and

processes which are trauma informed and aim to build and rebuild trust, which

recognize challenges as they occur and provide support as needed, with the

intent of healing trauma. This may take the form of one-on-one support to

validate, hear and honour people’s experiences. Mental health and wellness

support as needed which is personal, organizational, and communal. Continuing

to move from race to creating culture is essential. When this is ongoing, it leads

to repairing ruptured relationships, post traumatic growth and resilience which

in turn strengthens the bearings of the CPS ARAC work as it continues to steer

forward.

ISC Unclassified

ANNUAL REVIEW | 15

O u r C o m mi tm e n t

Each has its own project page at

the end of this report.

An t i- Rac is m

S trat egy Pr iori ty

Th e me s

• Training and Education.

• Sworn and Civilian

Recruitment.

• Complaints and

Compliments Process.

A mp lify in g

R a ci ali zed Voic es

Re sul ts

• Anti-racism lens to

elevate racialized and

member voices in

participatory problem

solving.

• Amendment to ELT

Decision Requests to

include anti-racism lens

V. WHAT WE HAVE

DONE

A. P R O G R E S S E D O U R C O M M I T M E NT

We have progressed Our Commitment as demonstrated by individual year-

end reports. Our Commitment aligns with anti-racism promising practices as

identified in Dr. Patrina Duhaney's presentation on anti-racism promising

Practices in Policing on November 9, 2021. In summary, key highlights

include:

1. ARACs identified Anti-Racism Strategy priority themes in August

2021.

2. Gap analysis of Race-Based Data categorizations in all CPS systems

conducted to inform Statistics Canada.

3. 74% of Body-Worn Camera (BWC) recommendations were prioritized

based on risk, organizational impact, and resourcing.

4. 1900 total submissions to the School Resource Officer program

review, but only 19% engaged were students and a new engagement

design plan to reach racialized students is underway

5. The Police Officer Training Program was reworked and enhanced to

provide standardized training and mentorship to Trainees; 98 Early

Intervention Reports were produced. Of this, 3,614 officers were

linked to a Potential Traumatic Incident.

6. The Professional Standards Section (PSS) received 13 complaints

related to allegations of Differentially Applying the Law (based on

race/colour, physical/mental ability, gender, etc.).

7. $6.2M of the $8M CSIF budget has been awarded in 2021. The

remaining $1.8M was set aside for the design of new crisis response

in 2022. From May through September 2021, CSIF funded programs

supported 4,712 individuals and completed over 29,000 contacts.

B. A M P L I F I ED R A C I A L I Z E D V OICES

We have amplified racialized voices in police decision-making. As of August

2021, the CPS now requires an anti-racism lens in related Decision Requests

(DR) that proceed to our Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and ELT. Our anti-

racism lens is provided in the form of feedback and recommendations for our

ARACs and Advisory Boards/Circle.

The work in Our Commitment areas is improving based on the anti-racism

lens. For example, the School Resource Officer (SRO) Program review is

undergoing a new design plan for 2022 based on feedback from our ARAC and

Advisory Boards/Circle who stated further consultation with racialized

students and their families is required before any re-imaging this program is

actioned.

ANNUAL REVIEW | 16

• 129 hours of dedicated

anti-racism in policing

discussions.

• 7 Our Commitment

informed by ARAC lens

including feedback and

recommendations.

A mp lify in g Memb er

Vo ic e s- C PS A n ti -

R a ci s m I mpa c t

S tor i e s

• 80% of Internal ARAC

members reported having a

conversation with a co-

worker about their

involvement with ARAC.

Chan g es to Polic y,

P ra c tic e an d

P ro c edure Re su l ts

• The Non-disclosure and

Confidentiality

Agreement (NDA) was

amended based on ARAC

feedback in April 2021.

• The Code of Conduct

policy was implemented

in December 2021 for

sworn members to

identify themselves

during interactions with

the public.

• External ARAC is

currently reviewing the

Respectful Workplace

Policy and Code of

Conduct Policy.

We will continue to work with subject matter experts (SME) to develop our

anti-racism lens with experts moving forward. Although our ARACs provide

feedback and recommendations to area and project leads, we are working to

build our capacity for an anti-racism lens to ensure the voice of racialized

citizens and members is presented to our ELT.

C. A M P L IFI ED M E M B E R V O I C E S

In March 2020, most Internal ARAC participants identified misunderstanding

and confusion on anti-racism concepts and definitions as a critical barrier to

moving forward.

As a result, we:

• Drafted our own definitions of systemic racism, Anti-Indigenous, and

Anti-Black racism.

• Worked with the Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police to standardize

terminology for the province.

• Brought in experts to educate our Internal ARAC membership on anti-

racism terms and concepts.

In August 2021, 65% of our Internal ARAC reported an increased

understanding of systemic racism since joining the committee and this

increased to 80% in December 2021.

Our membership also reported support from co-workers of their participation

in anti-racism work (83%) and supervisors (100%). Members still report

frustration around the purpose of the committee with many divided between

action and education as outlined in Figure 4.

F igu re 4

A key driver for success is our ability to recognize the four levels of racism

(Internal, Interpersonal, Institutional, Structural)

and to have the tools and

leadership support to address it. Sworn and civilian members are coming

forward, anonymously, with their lived experiences personally and

professionally. These stories may be found at the end of this report.

CPS ANTI-RACISM IMPACT STORIES

1. Lived Experience – Patrol.

2. Lived Experience – Call for Service.

ANNUAL REVIEW | 17

• Nine languages were

added to the Alarm

Bylaw Operating system

in November 2021 (see

Impact Story Addressing

Systemic Racism).

• Twelve languages were

added to the policing

Information checks for

citizens in November

2021 (see Impact Story

Addressing Systemic

Racism).

• Nine languages were

added to Crime

Prevention materials

related to an online

robbery series. By

Summer 2022, Operation

Cold Start materials will

also be translated.

Par tn erin g wi th

S ME Re sul t s

• 85% of ARAC members

reported that the

presentations were

helpful to the work of the

Committee.

• CPS Anti-Racism

Environmental Scan.

• CPS Anti-Racism

Literature Review.

• A contracted therapist

with working knowledge

of systemic racism, Anne

Sureshkumar.

• Half-day workshop with

Internal ARAC on

unconscious bias.

3. Lived Experience – Family.

4. Lived Experience – Guilt, Empathy and Responsibility.

5. Unconscious Bias in Officer Discretion.

6. Addressing Racism in the Workplace.

7. Identifying Systemic Barriers – Audit.

8. Addressing Systemic Barriers - Alarm Bylaw.

9. Addressing Systemic Barriers – Police Information Check Unit (PICU).

D . C H A N G E D P O L I C I E S , P R A C T I C E S

A N D P R O C E D U R E S

The Code of Conduct policy has now been amended that when requested by a

member of the public, a business card containing the officer’s surname, rank,

and regimental number will be provided. Due to heightened emotions or

confusion during and after police encounters, people may have trouble

remembering information given verbally. Many law enforcement agencies

have transitioned a police officer's “Duty to Identify” from a verbal response

to written form.

The CPS is translating systems and services to address language barriers. This

includes the Alarm Bylaw System, Police Information Checks and Crime

Prevention materials.

E. P A R T N E R ED W I T H S U B J E C T

M A T T E R E X P E R T S

Anne Sureshkumar MPhil, MSW, RSW, is a therapist with working knowledge

of racial trauma. She is part of the CPS anti-racism team and attends all

committee meetings. Contracted from the Calgary Counselling Centre, she

advises and guides the team on the impact of this work on our members and

committee members.

Eve Aboka is the founder and CEO of Capability Career Group (CCG). She has

lived experiences with systemic discrimination in Canada define the

company's commitment to making lives better by servicing Canadians

equitably. CCG conducts empathy-based career development services and

educates institutions on the benefits of eliminating institutionalized and

structural discriminations and their unfair systems that delay career success

for most minority groups. Ms. Aboka hosted a half-day workshop with our

Internal ARAC on the four levels of systemic racism and unconscious bias in

November 2021.

Eight Subject Matter Experts (SME) presenting on racial trauma, cultural

humility, research, unconscious bias, anti-Indigenous, anti-Black, and anti-

racism leadership, and building an anti-racist police culture (Figure 7) through

our Internal Speaker Series as well as contract. Sessions were recorded and

materials posted internally and externally:

• Dr. Khwezi Mbolekwa, Journey of Becoming an Anti-Racist Leader

• Dr. Darren Lund, Anti-Racism Concepts and Privilege

• Ms. Anne Sureshkumar, Racial Trauma

• Ms. Shuana Porter, Unconscious Bias, and the Black Community's

History with Police

• Mr. Harold Horsefall, Deeper Dive into Residential Schools

• Ms. Amanda Koyama and Ms. Amanda Weighman, Cultural Thinking

ANNUAL REVIEW | 18

F igu re 7

• Dr. Patrina Duhaney, Anti-Racism and Policing

• Ms. Jacqueline Edwards, Co-creating an anti-racist Police Culture

To view the Speaker Series please click here.

CPS Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) presented to ARAC on their work which

many External ARAC members reported appreciating in their one-on-one

sessions:

• Superintendent Scott Boyd, Professional Standards Section (PSS)

• Staff Sergeant Jason Walker, PSS

• Sandra Jacobi, PSS

• Constable Craig Collins, Hate and Extremism Team - Retired,

• Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) Travis Juska – Office of the Chief

• Manager Rebecca Davidson - Corporate Data & Analytics

• Business Strategist Jason Archibald, Strategic Planning, Research,

Analysis

• Staff Sergeant Ralph Veckenstedt, Youth Education Unit

• Superintendent Cliff O'Brien, Police Operations, North Patrol Division

• Kim Assailly, Manager of People and Analytics

• Inspector Shanon Scott, Support Section

• Dr. Amory Hamilton-Henry, People and Analytics Resource Team

F.T H E N A R R A T I V E

News articles about Our Commitment emphasized language of "sadness,"

"anger," "police reform," "gain back trust," and "accountability issues."

comes as no surprise then that the second most significant challenge for

Sworn and Civilian members in 2021 was "negative perceptions and

comments from citizens."

On social media, the CPS has communicated how we recognize important

days in diverse communities, hate crimes, and the proactive work the CPS is

doing to remove barriers.

G. O U R D E L I V E R A B L E S

• 123 deliverables completed since December 2020.

• Criteria for ARAC committee selection.

• Onboarding packages.

• Monthly “What We Heard” Reports.

• Working group with the City of Calgary Anti-Racism Program Team.

• Presentations to community by ARAC leads.

• Launch of Internal Anti-Racism Speaker Series.

• Half-day internal unconscious bias training.

• Charter and Project Plan (100% complete, 86% completed on time).

• Anti-racism definitions and terminology.

• Launch of the CPS Internal and External website.

• Launch Public Consultation partnered with the City of Calgary on

August 20, 2021.

ISC Unclassified

ANNUAL REVIEW | 19

2 02 2 P RIO RI TIE S

• Launch draft of Anti-Racism

Strategy in Q1 2022.

• Prioritize integration of

internal and external

dialogue.

• Consultants to conduct two-

way sessions with police and

community for participatory

problem solving.

• Launch an External website

with a two-way

communications platform.

• Develop a CPS Anti-Racism

Policy.

• Change Management and

training.

• Corporate alignment.

• Evaluation.

• Ongoing Committee and

board engagement.

VI . WH AT I S NEX T

A. C P S A N T I - R A C I S M S T R A T E G Y

An Anti-Racism Strategy has been drafted based on the activities listed in this

report since December 2020. Before this drafted strategy is presented in Q1

2022, Dr. Duhaney's recommendations must be incorporated, analysis from

the City of Calgary's public engagement must be included, as well as the

remaining international, national, provincial, and municipal

recommendations. Then, extensive stakeholder consultation must continue.

B. T W O W A Y E N G A G E M E N T

The CPS is partnering with the City of Calgary Request for Proposal (RFP)

consultants to conduct facilitated internal and external engagement sessions

to ensure two-way dialogue, build trust, and validate findings to date. These

sessions will also dive into participatory solutions. In addition, we will

continue our engagement with the Internal and External ARAC and our

Advisory Boards/Circle, who guide us on this journey.

C. C P S A N T I - R A C I S M P O L I C Y

A significant tangible action of this drafted strategy is an anti-racism policy. In

November 2021, the External ARAC collectively agreed to identify the

required components for a CPS Anti-Racism Policy by March 2022. Ten

Internal ARAC members will be selected to work on this policy to ensure

integration. In addition, the external ARAC will work with our Policy Unit and

will include the review of existing CPS policies – Respectful Workplace and

Code of Conduct Policy.

D . C H A N G E MAN A G E M E N T &

T R A I N I N G

The CPS is hiring a Change Management Specialist to support in the delivery

of the transformational change laid out in the Anti-Racism Strategy. At the

same time, the CPS Learning and Recruitment Division is working with the

ARAC leads and SMEs to develop appropriate Indigenous, Gender and Sexual

Diversity (GSD) anti-racism training informed by our ARACs/Boards/Circle.

D. O U R C O M M I T M E N T

INC O R P O R ATE D I N T O O U R

S T R A T E G I C P L A N

Through Our Strategy, the CPS' long-term strategic plan, our promise is to

create an organization and community that is safe, diverse, inclusive &

inspired. The CPS is committed to the following goals:

• Increased community safety & well-being

• Increased public trust & confidence

ANNUAL REVIEW | 20

• Increased equity, diversity & inclusion

• Increased efficiency & effectiveness

• Increased employee satisfaction & engagement

The Anti-Racism Strategy will be supported and prioritized through our long-

term strategic plan (Our Strategy) and actioned through our Annual Policing

Plan (APP). Quarterly reporting on the APP will be our accountability

mechanism to the commitments previously made and our continued work to

become an anti-racist organization.

E. E V A L U A T I O N

The CPS is committed to evaluating its Inclusion and Anti-Racism Strategy to

assess the effectiveness of implementation and impact.

Specifically, the evaluation will help CPS determine:

• Lessons learned from strategy development and stakeholder

expectations for implementation.

• Whether and how the strategy is guiding CPS towards accomplishing

its objectives.

• How to work areas effectively implement the strategy and CPS

resources are adequately utilized.

• Whether and how the strategy achieves its intended objectives,

outcomes, and/or impact.

• If there is a need to reformulate or change the strategy.

Examining the implementation process and the corresponding impact will

allow the CPS to continuously improve the strategy and adjust activities to

achieve the desired outcomes. In 2022, the CPS will be contracting an

experienced external evaluator with expertise in equity, inclusion, and anti-

racism to conduct the process and outcome evaluation. Ideally, the

consultant would join the CPS in the spring of 2022 for 18 months, starting

with the process evaluation and the development of the impact evaluation by

the end of Q2 2022. A one-year evaluation report would be expected in the

Spring of 2023.

VII. ATTACHMENT: OUR

COMMITMENT

VIII. ATTACHEMENT: CPS

ANTI-RACISM IMPACT

STORIES

ANNUAL REVIEW | 21

Duhaney, Patrina. 2021. Calgary Police Service Anti-Racism Promising Practice Project Literature Review. University of Calgary, 4.

Illumina Research. 2021. CPC Annual Employee Report. Calgary Police Commission. 53.

This definition will be amended once the AACP approves their version in 2022.

Duhaney, Patrina. 2021. Calgary Police Service Anti-Racism Promising Practice Project Literature Review. University of Calgary, 4.

Duhaney, Patrina. 2021. 4.

Illumina Research. 2021. CPC Annual Employee Report. Calgary Police Commission. 53.

The CPS Employee Report. Illumina Research. Calgary Police Service, 2021., p 50.

CPS Finance Division. Financial Reporting. 2021.

Duhaney, Patrina. 2021. Calgary Police Service Anti-Racism Promising Practice Environmental Scan. University of Calgary

Annual Policing Plan.

Duhaney, P. Environmental Scan, p 30.

Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Systemic Racism in Policing in Canada: Report of the standing Committee on Public Safety and National Safety.

CPS Internal ARAC Survey, August 2021

Year End Internal ARAC Survey December 2021.

Illumina Research. 2021. CPC Citizen Consultation. Calgary Police Commission.

CPS Internal ARAC What We Heard Report March 2021 and External What We Heard Report March 2021

CPS Internal ARAC Survey, August 2021

2021 August 25 Satisfaction Survey

(56 hours monthly sessions and 73 hours of one-on ones).

(Info posts, Race-based data, CSIF, Professional Standards Section, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Tool, School Resource Officer,

Protests and Hate Crimes).

Internal ARAC – March 2021 Survey CPS

See Speaker Series – Anne Sureshkumar

Anti-Racism Committee Newspaper Articles. 2020-2021. CPS Library.

Illumina Research. 2021. CPC Annual Employee Report. Calgary Police Commission. 53.

100% of Project Charter Milestones (January 2021) were met and 86% delivered on time. For an overview of the deliverables

completed by month, see APPENDIX X.