Questions of Racism in Police Investigations and Implications for Our Justice System

• Author: Roger Shallow
• Pages: 101-121



QuestionsofRacismin

PoliceInvestigationsand

ImplicationsforOurJusticeSystem

Roger Shallow*

“Race,” writes the great historian Nell Irvin Painter, “is an idea, not a fact.

IndeedRacedoesnotneedbiologyRaceonlyrequiressomegoodguyswith

big guns looking for a reason

A. INTRODUCTION

On a beautiful September eveni ng in my two Black friends and

I were walking home from campus We all grew up in Toronto and

wereinoursecondyearofstudiesattheUniversityofWindsorAswe

nearedourdestinationweobservedapolicecruiserdrivepastusWe

instinctivelylookedateachotherandmyfriendsbegancountingdown

thenumberofsecondsthatwouldpassbeforetheinevitablehappened

Iwasjustabouttotellthemtheywerewrongwhentheywerequickly

provenrightThepolicecruiserexecutedaUturnandappearedalong

sideofusinlessthanaminuteTwouniformedocersalightedfrom

thecruiseranddemandedtoknowwhowewerewherewelivedand

whereweweregoing

 OftheCrownLawOceCriminalMinistryoftheAorneyGeneralforOntario

IdonotspeakonbehalfofmyemployerAnyviewsandopinionsexpressed

throughoutthispieceshouldnotbetakenasmyemployersposition

 TaNehisiCoatesWhatWeMeanWhenWeSayRaceIsaSocialConstructThe

AtlanticMay

RS

Ifoundmyselfspeakingwiththeolderocerwhiletheyoungerof

cerstoodbymytwofriendsandwatchedIsurmisethatIbecamethe

focusoftheolderocersaentionbecauseIhadaskedwhywewere

stoppedandexpressedsomeknowledgeofmyrightsAsacriminology

studentIknewwehadsomeTheocerlookedatmelikeIwasapor

traitofignoranceandthenrecitedapredictablemantraSoyourea

wiseguyWelltherehavebeenbreakandentersintheareaandyout

theproleIwaspreyfamiliarwiththatmantraandhadbecomecon

ditionedtounderstanditasanobviousandconvenientreasontoooften

usedtomaskanoensivetruthThepowerimbalancewaspalpableand

undeniableandthecircumstanceswereprecariousAccordingtothe

ocersallwehadtodowasjustplaythegameshowsomeidentica

tionandmyfriendsandIcouldgoalongItwasnotabigdealPer

hapsfromtheirperspectiveitwasnotButwhataboutourperspective

I havebeen a skedto w rite aboutracia lization of police investiga

tionsandrelatedimplicationsforourjusticesystemTheintersectionof

raceandcriminallawandenforcementcontinuestoreceiveconsider

ableaentioninlegalacademicandpublicpolicydiscussionsThere

sulting national conversations surrou nding race are critical issues for

legalanalysisparticularlyinlightofthewelldocumentedhistoryofra

cisminCanadaTheperniciousnessofracismanditsvariousmutations

createanumberofimplicationsforthecriminaljusticesystemandare

frequentlylinkedtocomplaintsofracialprolingandoverpolicingof

certaincommunitiesCondenceinthepolicehelpskeepcommunities

safeandpromotespublictrustArbitraryanddiscriminatorypolicing

does notIt is importa nt to encouragevoluntary i nteractions between

policeandpotentialwitnessesorbystanderswhocomeforwardtoshare

informationItisequallyimportanttoensurethatsuchencountersare

 IusedtothinkthatCrownswereanextensionofthepoliceandpartoftheproblem

ThatmisperceptionwascorrectedthroughaseriesofluckycircumstancesandIwent

ontoenjoyafulllingcareerasCrowncounselaftergraduatingfromtheUniversity

ofWi ndsor law school in  Unf ortunately many young people of colou r who

experienceracialbiasintheadministrationofjusticedontgetsuchopportunities

 OntarioHumanRightsCommissionUnderSuspicionResearchandConsultation

ReportonRacialProlinginOntarioTorontoOntarioHumanRightsCommis

sionDavidMTanovichUsingtheChartertoStopRacialProlingThe

DevelopmentofAnEqualityBasedConceptionofArbitraryDetention

Osgoode Hall Law JournalatTanovichUsingtheCharterRobynMay

nardPolicingBlackLivesStateViolenceinCanadafromSlaverytothePresent

WinnipegFernwoodch