London police use force against Black, Arab, Indigenous men disproportionately, data shows

Kate Dubinski · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 26, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: June 26

London constabulary usage unit much often against Black, Middle Eastern and Indigenous men than against achromatic men, a researcher's heavy dive into the information shows. 

"Before 2020, we did not person immoderate numbers due to the fact that constabulary services were not collecting that race-based data," said Kojo Damptey, a doctoral pupil astatine McMaster University successful Hamilton who got a assistance from the University of Toronto to analyse use-of-force information from the province's large cities. 

"It's important to analyse that information and talk to immoderate of the concerns that Black, Indigenous and racialized communities person been talking astir for years." 

Police services successful Ontario taxable their race-use-of-force information annually to the state and the solicitor wide makes that information public, Damptey said. Ontario passed the Anti-Racism Act successful 2017, forcing nationalist institutions to beryllium collecting race-based data, allowing researchers specified arsenic Damptey entree to the figures starting successful 2020. 

"London is beauteous accordant with each the different cities," helium said. "Indigenous folks, Black men and Middle Eastern men acquisition use-of-force astatine higher rates, peculiarly erstwhile it comes to men betwixt the ages of 18 to 24." 

Half of the men aged 18 to 24 years aged successful London who had unit utilized against them by a constabulary serviceman were Black oregon Middle Eastern, Damptey said. They besides amusement 13.8 per cent of men and boys who had unit utilized against them by an serviceman were Middle Eastern, and 6.5 per cent were Indigenous. 

When Statistics Canada collects data, it uses "Arab" arsenic the class that constabulary services categorize arsenic "Middle Eastern." CBC News is utilizing Middle Eastern due to the fact that the numbers successful this communicative are from the constabulary services.

Indigenous radical marque up conscionable 2.6 per cent of London's population, according to the 2021 census. People identifying arsenic Black marque up 3.5 per cent London's colonisation and radical identifying arsenic Arab marque up 4.2 per cent. The full disposable number colonisation is 20 per cent, according to the 2021 census. 

Stories backed-up by data

Black, Indigenous and racialized communities are experiencing greater use-of-force erstwhile they are interacting with constabulary officers," Damptey said. "We spot a wide pattern. When Black and Indigenous and different number communities interact with police, they acquisition unit astatine disproportionate rates." 

It's important for communities to person their anecdotal experiences backed up by data, helium added. 

"We privation constabulary services to beryllium accountable. We privation them to alteration however they behave erstwhile interacting with Black, Indigenous and racialized communities," Damptey said. 

"We privation to stock this information publically truthful radical tin attack their constabulary boards, their metropolis councillor, their mayors and their constabulary services truthful they tin animate immoderate change." 

CBC News requested an interrogation with London constabulary astir the numbers Damptey analyzed. A spokesperson declined to comment, saying 2024 use-of-force information would beryllium released astatine the adjacent constabulary services committee gathering connected July 16. 

"Immediately pursuing the meeting, we would beryllium blessed to put for idiosyncratic to talk with you astir immoderate questions you person with respect to the 2023 results you shared today, on with immoderate caller questions you whitethorn person from our 2024 statistics," Sgt. Sandasha Bough wrote successful an email. 

"This should supply you with further information to gully from, arsenic you volition person 2 years of statistic available."

Damptey said helium volition beryllium doing his ain investigation connected the 2024 numbers erstwhile it is made nationalist province-wide successful August.