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REPORT RAPPORT |
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DATE:
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28 July 2014 |
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TO/DEST:
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Executive Director, Ottawa Police Services Board |
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FROM/EXP:
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Chief of Police, Ottawa Police Service |
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SUBJECT/OBJET: |
TRAFFIC STOP RACE DATA COLLECTION PROJECT: UPDATE
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RECOMMENDATION
That the Ottawa Police Services Board receive this report and presentation for information.
BACKGROUND
As a result of an agreement between the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) and the Ottawa Police Services Board (Board), the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) has undertaken the largest race based data collection project in Canadian policing history.
The Traffic Stop Race Data Collection Project (TSRDCP) requires police officers to record their perception of the driver’s race, by observation only, for traffic stops over a two-year period from June 2013 to June 2015.
The OHRC and the OPS believe that race based data collection is an important tool to support bias-neutral policing services. Full information, including the agreement, project updates, and opportunities to stay engaged are available online at ottawapolice.ca/race.
DISCUSSION
The OPS, OHRC and the Research Team are in agreement that the project has made significant progress to date:
· Officers are collecting the race based data as part of their regular traffic stop duties and have already conducted over 60,000 stops since data collection began last June – a number that compares with annual traffic stops for previous periods;
· Already strong data collection rates continue to improve; and
· The second phase of consultation is underway and continuing to shape this project.
To fulfil the six month project reporting cycle to the Board, this report provides a brief project update since the last update report presented to the Board on January 27th.
Strong Data Collection Rates Continue
Using their in-car computers, officers have collected their perception of the driver’s race for over 60,000 traffic stops since data collection began last year on June 27th, 2013. The number of traffic stops is expected to reach well over 100,000 by the time the study ends in June 2015.
In addition to the location and date of the traffic stop which are recorded automatically by the computer, officers are required to collect other data fields as a result of the extensive consultation efforts from the first phase of the project including:
- Reason for Stop;
- Driver Information including address, age, gender and race;
- Outcome of the Stop; and
- Perception of Race (whether race was perceived prior to the decision to stop the vehicle).
Despite the realities of the computer system functionality and the dynamic environment of front-line policing duties, strong data collection rates continue to improve:
- Over 81 percent of all traffic stops to date have all eight fields completed.
- Traffic stop numbers for the last three months have reached data collection rates over 85%.
- When examined individually, each data field is completed over 90% percent (including the race field).
Small fluctuations in traffic stop numbers and data collection rates are to be expected from month to month and are often to due to operational reasons (new recruit classes, high transfer periods, and/or special events). At the outset of the project, there were significant improvements in the data collection and there is a continued gradual upward trend in data collection rates overall.
Quality assurance is an integral part of this project and is one of the main reasons for early project success. As described in previous updates, the project team has worked to ensure full implementation of significant quality assurance measures and will continue to do so throughout the project to help ensure meaningful and measurable data. Another main reason for success to date is the community and police engagement, which continues to be the foundation of the project.
Consultation and Dialogue with the Community Continues
Led by the Community Development and Corporate Communications sections, a Plan for Ongoing Engagement and Communications for the two-year data collection period was developed in consultation with project partners (including the project’s advisory committee, COMPAC, OHRC, and the Ottawa Police Association). This plan was provided in the last update report to the Board.
While the police service has been advised that the Research Team will not analyze and produce race based data results before June 2015, there is still work to do with the community and police members who are shaping this project. Using a number of opportunities during the two-year data collection period, the ongoing engagement is now focused on planning for a comprehensive analysis of the data. Key consultation questions include:
· What is the plan for analysis of the data?
· What will the report look like?
· How will we measure success?
The first opportunity to start asking these questions took place on February 6th, 2014 when the OPS and the Board hosted another Let’s Chat engagement session at the R.A. Centre. Both COMPAC and the Project’s advisory committee had an important role in planning and delivering the successful session which was well attended by over 150 participants. A summary of the discussion questions and key themes is attached to this report.
Next steps include building on the discussion questions and themes from the Let’s Chat session by utilizing other methods including interviews, group presentations, surveys, and committee meetings. A full update on the engagement plan and these activities will be provided in the next Board report.
FINANCIAL STATEMENT
Not applicable.
CONCLUSION
The OPS and the OHRC believe that this project will contribute to strengthening relationships with the community and can help address concerns about racial profiling.
The OPS continues to work closely with the OHRC and the Research Team to build this made in Ottawa project with community and police input.
The Board will continue to be provided with regular update reports every six months.
(Original signed by)
Charles Bordeleau
Chief of Police
Attach. (1)
Responsible for the report: Inspector Pat Flanagan