An unequal distribution of cases against members of different ethnic groups characterizes the use of force by police officers against citizens in Canada. For instance, in Peel municipality, regional police use of force against Black people is 3.2 times higher than for other population groups (Balintec, 2022, p. 1). This data indicates a tendency of police officers to associate crime with members of certain ethnic groups. Furthermore, the statistics show a significant imbalance in the use of force toward Black people compared to other groups, given the percentage of members of that group (Balintec, 2022, p. 11). At the same time, such an imbalance is not as pronounced for members of ethnic groups other than Caucasians. Thus, police officers tend to be biased against Black people, despite the gradual decrease in such statistics compared to previous years. In addition to the direct use of physical force, certain groups of people succumb to more frequent police interventions, such as inspections, for no objective reason. According to statistical research, the percentage of Blacks, Arabs, East Asians, and Indigenous people who are subjected to unreasonable police checks is 2-3 times higher compared to Caucasians (Giwa et al., 2020, p. 226). Thus, the practice of inappropriate application of police force includes various methods that apply disproportionately to members of ethnic minorities. This disproportion illustrates the tendency of the Canadian police to consider Caucasians to be less inclined to commit crimes, which means that this group is significantly less prone to inspections. Considering the lack of a rational basis and the intolerant nature of the issue, it is a risk factor for police misconduct for a substantial segment of the Canadian population. In general, the Ontario statistics show a significant disproportion in the use of police powers concerning predominantly ethnic minorities, which is an expression of implicit bias.
Negative Effects of Implicit Bias on Police Performance
Implicit bias negatively affects police work since it does not allow the police to act rationally and in full compliance with the law regularly. In this regard, an important concept is the Crime Net, which suggests that many criminals avoid responsibility (O’Regan & Reid, 2022, p. 337). According to this concept, the police may possess a bias in their work performance reflected in their attitudes toward certain groups of people. The example of the Peel unification demonstrates this issue of police work as it demonstrates a pronounced bias toward Black people. At the same time, focusing on specific groups of people makes it possible for criminals of other ethnic groups to avoid punishment. A significant negative effect of implicit bias is the negative attitude of the population toward the police. In this regard, Black people have a greater tendency than Asians and Europeans to doubt the possibility of realizing the right to complain in case of police misconduct (Kwon & Wortley, 2020, p. 659). Thus, police bias leads to a negative perception of law enforcement by members of specific population groups, creating several potential problems when interacting with citizens and reducing public trust in the police. Such a characteristic is critical because it is a factor in the emergence of wrong associations between the police and citizens, leading to law violations. In addition, a low level of trust in the police is a risk factor for increased crime and antisocial behavior for individuals who perceive the legislative system negatively. Overall, implicit bias has several adverse effects on the workplace since it causes conditions for police to perform duties improperly and complicates the interaction of state and regional services with specific population segments.
The factors contributing to implicit bias in police officers
The police’s appropriate perception of the issues involved in policing is essential in preventing implicit bias. The Toronto Police Service states in its official resources that it focuses on an equal attitude towards all citizens and a lack of bias among police officers, which, however, is not fully realized in practice (Samuels-Wortley, 2021, p. 1143). In this regard, the inability of law enforcement officials to adequately address and solve existing problems is a considerable problem. Furthermore, maintaining functioning without eliminating existing problems reduces the quality of police work considerably. The inability of the police authority to recognize existing issues results in unwarranted attention by police inspectors to specific groups of people or neighborhoods. In addition, the lack of response to police bias leads to instances of apparent ethnic selectivity in police checks where police officers directly demonstrate a bias towards certain groups of citizens. (Samuels-Wortley, 2021, p. 1156). In this case, pronounced ethnic selectivity contradicts human rights and directly violates the principles of police service. Therefore, statistical information and testimonies of victims of police misconduct indicate a lack of attention by police authorities to the problem of implicit bias. The inability or unwillingness of police leadership to recognize the issues associated with discrimination against particular groups of people, in this case, is critical. It prevents the police from making appropriate decisions to address the problem of bias and allows officers to continue to engage in abusive practices. Overall, the lack of sufficient understanding of the issue by police officers and the lack of action by authorities to eliminate the problem are determining factors in the existence of implicit bias in Canada.
References
Balintec, V. (2022). Peel police used force on Black people 3.2 times more than their share of population last year: new data. CBC News. Web.
Giwa, S., Mullings, D. V., Adjei, P., B., Karki K., K. (2020). Racial erasure: The silence of social work on police racial profiling in Canada. Journal of Human Rights and Social Work, 5, 224–235. Web.
Kwon, J., & Wortley, S. (2020). Policing the police: Public perceptions of civilian oversight in Canada. Race and Justice, 12(4), 644–668. Web.
O’Regan, K., & Reid, S. (Eds.). (2022). Thinking about criminal justice in Canada. Emond Publishing.
Samuels-Wortley, K. (2021). To serve and protect whom? Using composite counter-storytelling to explore Black and Indigenous youth experiences and perceptions of the police in Canada. Crime & Delinquency, 67(8), 1137 –1164. Web.