Collect and analyze race-based data

Update

The Race-Based Data Collection Initiative is an important part of the RCMP's larger efforts to address systemic racism and improve our services for the communities we serve. The Initiative aims for greater effectiveness, efficiency and equity in our impact. Meaningful engagement helps the RCMP understand local community context and employee perspectives.

Components of this engagement include:

• visiting detachments in six divisions across Canada
  • meeting with divisional leadership, detachment leadership, government partners, stakeholders and community organizations, such as First Nations and Inuit communities, to hear about their unique experiences
• hosting regular retreats to bring together academics, experts from other police services, and partners from various areas of the RCMP and the federal public service, to advance anti-racism
• collaborating with partners and stakeholders to develop training and communication materials for the initiative and its support for the RCMP's broader modernization efforts.
• participating in working groups to coordinate guidelines for race-based data collection in policing

The Race-Based Data Collection Initiative's pilot program is on track to start data collection in the five recommended pilot sites in early 2024.

The Anti-Racism Unit will continue meeting with members and local Indigenous, Black and Racialized communities in the pilot sites to understand their concerns and address questions about race-based data collection.

Update

The Anti-Racism Unit (ARU) is leading the implementation of the Race-Based Data Collection (RBDC) initiative and is also developing an Anti-Racism Strategy in the RCMP.

Starting with a smaller scale version of the initiative, the Anti-Racism Unit will first pilot the Race-Based Data Collection initiative in select pilot sites to help test and refine the framework before it is implemented nationally.

The Anti-Racism Unit visited several detachments across the country and met with RCMP members, community organizations and other key stakeholders. Potential Race-Based Data Collection pilot sites were assessed for suitability based on several factors including: community insight on known tension/issues with police, detachment and division readiness, community support for Race-Based Data Collection, and existing provincial and municipal anti-racism initiatives that would support the RCMP's Race-Based Data Collection Initiative.

The following detachments have been selected as Race-Based Data Collection pilot sites:

• Burnaby, British Columbia (E Division)
• Fort McMurray/Wood Buffalo, Alberta (K Division)
• Whitehorse, Yukon (M Division)
• Thompson, Manitoba (D Division)
• Halifax, Nova Scotia (H Division)

Work on the Race-Based Data Collection pilot is underway, with data collection expected to begin in early 2024. The Anti-Racism Unit is applying the best practices outlined in the Ontario Anti-Racism Data Standards and continues to strengthen and build relationships across and outside the organization to move forward. For instance, the RCMP is developing an internal Change Champion Network to support initiatives to address systemic racism across the RCMP and is participating in working groups with Statistics Canada, Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police and Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police to collaborate on a coordinated approach and guidelines for Race-Based Data Collection in policing.

Update

The RCMP is on track to put in place a race-based data collection system that will generate reliable data. The data will be used to identify trends that point to disproportionate or disparate outcomes for racialized individuals and to examine ways to mitigate negative impacts.

This is a long-term, resource-intensive project that requires:

• deep subject matter expertise
• a whole-of-RCMP approach
• collaboration with jurisdictional partners and key stakeholders
• coordination of internal IM/IT and analytical functions

The RCMP has engaged with Toronto Police Service and Peel Regional Police to exchange best practices to advance race-based data collection.

Efforts are ongoing to educate RCMP employees on systemic racism. The requirements and supports for successful implementation are under continual assessment.