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DRPSB promises to mitigate racism concerns

Durham Regional Police Services Board (DRPSB) yesterday responded to community concerns regarding systemic racism and discrimination.

It promised to develop plans to mitigate those concerns.

“For far too long, Black communities and racialized people have felt the impact of systemic racism, discrimination and oppression in every aspect of their lives. George Floyd’s death is another stark reminder that this issue extends deep into the very systems that are put in place to keep our communities safe and protected,” said a DRPSB statement.

“This is troubling, and we need to do better.”

DRPSB said this means acknowledging the times we have failed in the past and working to improve our training, education, conduct and accountability practices.

“As a first step, we strongly support better engagement the Diversity Advisory Committee (DAC) and Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) in identifying community concerns and developing plans to mitigate those concerns.

“Internally, we need to look at our internal hiring policies and procedures to identify barriers in the selection process that can be removed to ensure our team reflects the communities that we serve,”it said.

“Our first and foremost priority is to ensure the safety of all the residents of Durham Region. We are committed to supporting change, pursuing equality and embracing diversity and inclusion,” the statement said.

“The Durham Regional Police Services Board is kneeling with you, we are marching with you, and we are standing beside you,” it added.

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