Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Plan

Group photo of diverse LPS members, sworn and civilian

TOGETHER, WE ARE STRONGER

London Police Service Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Plan

The London Police Service strives to be reflective of the diverse community it serves. We believe that together, we are stronger. Through the implementation of this plan, we will enhance relationships with the diverse communities of London, and attract and retain qualified candidates from all communities.

Underlying Principles

A diverse police service will increase productivity, creativity and problem solving. “Moreover, [organizations] that are seen as being more diverse are also perceived as being more ethical than organizations that are not diverse.”¹

Diversity will broaden community engagement and result in better service to the citizens. There is research to support the belief that “an increase in the proportion of ethnic minority police officers [will bring] a significant decrease in the number of substantiated misconduct complaints.”² Therefore, irrespective of the statutory requirements of the Police Services Act requiring police forces to be reflective of the communities they serve, the London Police Service (LPS) is committed to diversity, and creating an equitable and inclusive environment, with the belief that together, we are stronger.

All LPS members should have the opportunity to achieve their full potential. By building a diverse police service and creating an inclusive environment for all members, the LPS can champion the values of equality, diversity and social inclusion. The goal is a membership that is representative of the community, and a police service that is supportive and inclusive for all of its members.

London Police Service Business Plans

Past and current LPS business plans have focused on the recruitment and retention of members who are more reflective and understanding of the communities served. The LPS Vision for a Safer London 2019 – 2021 Business Plan continues to focus on the objective of increasing the degree to which the LPS reflects the diverse communities served.

Sources

1 Friedman, H. H., Weiser Friedman, L., Leverton, C. (2016), Increase Diversity to Boost Creativity and Enhance Problem Solving. Psychsociological Issues in Human Resource Management. Volume 4. Number 2.
2 Hong, S. (2018), Can increased ethnic representativeness lower police misconduct? It’s a question of integrity.

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LPS Employee Census

The purpose of the LPS Employee Census is to gather information on the demographic profile of our organization. The first census, conducted in 2013, provides a baseline with which to measure our progress in increasing diversity of the service.

The census is a voluntary, anonymous survey that asks about gender, ethnicity, religious affiliation, and sexual orientation.

There was an 86% response rate to the 2013 census of the total 821 sworn/civilian members and cadets. That rate increased to 90% in 2018 of the 837 employees.

The ratio of sworn, civilian and cadets remained fairly consistent over the five-year period. In 2018, of the 837 members, 72% were sworn, 26% civilians and three percent cadets.

Pie Chart showing 2018 LPS Total Members by Category: 26% Civilians, 3% Cadets and 72% Sworn

LPS Census Highlights 2013 vs 2018


LPS Census Highlights	2013	2018
Female members (sworn/civilian/cadets)	31%	32%
Members of a racial minority	4%	8%
Members indicating religious affiliation as Christianity	67%	59%
Members indicating no religious affiliation	30%	36%
Members indicating affiliation with other religions	3%	5%
Members indicating they had a disability (as defined under the Ontario Human Rights Code)	3%	3%
Members indicating they were heterosexual (0.7% indicated gay, 2.6% lesbian, 0.3% bisexual, 0.4% transgender or transitioning)	96.8%	Change less than 1% in all categories

Top five languages spoken 2013

English (100%)
French (4.7%)
Portuguese (1.8%)
Spanish (1.1%)
German (1%)

Top five languages spoken 2018

English (100%)
French (6%)
Portuguese (1.7%)
Spanish (1.6%)
Polish (0.9%)

2013 to 2018 Percentage of Racial Minority by Ethnic Group (Sworn/Cadet/Civilian)


Racial Groups	2013	2018
Indigenous	12%	17%
Black	18%	26%
Chinese	3%	7%
Filipino	3%	2%
Oceanic	0%	2%
Other South East Asian	6%	9%
South Asian (Indo Pakistan)	3%	9%
Visible Minority West Asian or North African	21%	4%
Ethnic Other	21%	19%

Sworn/Cadet members increasingly diverse

Women - 19% (2013) 22% (2018)
Racial minorities - 4% (2013) to 9% (2018)
Ethnicity expanded to include Inigenous, Black, Filipino, Chinese, and other South/West Asian or North African members.

Civilian members increasingly diverse

Men - 32% (2013) to 37% (2018)
Racial minorities - 1% (2013) to 6% (2018)
Increased representation within several ethnic groups including Indigenous, Black, Oceanic and South Asian

Hiring Goals

Hiring goals to increase diversity in the LPS were identified for the period of 2015 to 2018. As shown in the graphs below, we met or exceeded those goals.

Female Hires


Year	Goal	Results
2015	25	20
2016	25	31
2017	30	29
2018	30	37

Racial Minority Hires

Graph of racial minority hires from 2016 to 2018 showing better than expected results, exact numbers in table below

Racial Minority HIres


Year	Goal	Results
2016	15	28
2017	15	17
2018	20	21

City of London Census Highlights

The City of London Census Fact Sheets from Statistics Canada 2016 Census data indicates the following:

London is home to 83,770 immigrants representing 22% of the total population
Almost 14% (11,595) of London’s immigrants are recent, arriving between 2011 and 2016
20% of Londoners reported being a visible minority, compared to 16% in 2011. These groups identified as Arab (18%), South Asian (16%), Black (15%), Chinese (14%), Latin American (12%), Southeast Asian (6%), Filipino (5%), West Asian, (4%), Korean (4%), Indigenous (2.6%) and Other (3.4%)
20.6% of Londoners had a mother tongue other than English or French. Arabic, Spanish and Chinese are the top non-official languages spoken in London
In 2011, 63% of Londoners were connected to, or affiliated with a Christian religion, 30% had no religious affiliation or connection and 4% were Muslim. The 2016 Census did not collect data on religion

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The 21-Point Plan

There are several successful initiatives that will continue in the years to come and others that will be introduced over the course of this plan. The following outlines our 21-point plan to improve relationships with, and better represent London’s diverse communities.

We will continue to

Identify and attend events involving diverse communities -- Members of the Diversity Ambassador Team will continue to attend cultural events in the community. In addition, members of the Recruting Unit and the diversity officer will also use these opportunities to identify potential applicants, encouraging them to consider a career in policing and promoting the LPS as an employer of choice;
Provide diversity and inclusivity training to all members of the LPS. Additional training is also being provided regarding the benefits of a diverse workforce to all members involved in the hiring of sworn or civilian members;
Offer the Police Ethnic and Cultural Exchange program (PEACE) and the Youth in Policing Initiative (YIPI) -- the PEACE program is a summer initiative for high school students from all cultures and backgrounds that helps to develop life skills such as communication, motivation, teamwork, volunteerism and leadership. YIPI provides an opportunity for high school students to work with police members over the summer in various areas of the police service;
Offer a high school co-op program with an emphasis on mentoring any diverse students;
Host and participate in diversity events such as Black History Month, International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Lewis Coray “Trailblazer” Award, the PRIDE Festival parade and Youth-First Cultural Exchange;
Host open house events to invite diverse community members to meet recruiters and civilian staff to promote employment opportunities;
Attending Citizenship Court ceremonies to congratulate and welcome new Canadians;
Enhance the LPS website to more effectively promote civilian employment opportunities by:

- Posting all civilian positions;
- Including testimonials similar to police recruiting; and,
- Providing more information on the hiring process;
Promote the LPS and the City of London (housing market, quality of life, commuting time, excellent hospitals and schools) to encourage diverse applicants;
Participate in “Build a Dream” which provides information to high school-aged girls about various career options;
Encourage diverse LPS members to speak with their acquaintances/family/friends about considering a career with LPS in either a sworn or civilian capacity; and
Ensure Secondary School Resource Officers are providing recruitment information to students expressing interest in law enforcement as a career.

We will

Reach out to influencers in diverse communities to encourage them to champion the LPS as an employer of choice and to refer potential applicants;
Develop a recruiting initiative to recruit former PEACE Team members, YIPI students, and Citizen Academy participants;
Review civilian member hiring practices and promote civilian careers in the community, with an emphasis on recruiting diverse civilians;
Conduct a thorough review of a survey all applicants are asked to complete which provides demographic information about those who apply to the LPS. The review will ensure compliance with the Anti-Racism Directorate’s Data Standards for the Identification and Monitoring of Systemic Racism;
Promote the service as an employer of choice and encourage applications from qualified diverse candidates;
Attend mini-information or employment fairs in London for those from diverse backgrounds to educate/inform and mentor diverse individuals for sworn and civilian positions;
Mentor prospective candidates from diverse communities. A member of the Recruiting Unit will have ongoing contact with the candidate to provide advice/recommendations and direction to assist in applying to service;
Provide mentors to new diverse sworn members when they are assigned to a patrol unit; and
Ensure, when possible, diverse patrol officers will work in areas that are identified as having a significant population of citizens similar to the officer’s diversity.

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Benchmarks

Traditional benchmarks will continue to be used by the Recruiting Unit and the diversity officer. These traditional benchmarks include the number of community meetings attended, cultural events attended, newcomer orientations, and recruiting outreach.

The following benchmarks will also be recorded annually:

Number of new candidates entering the mentorship program annually;
Total number of contacts with candidates
in the mentorship program;
Number of applications from women;
Number of applications from diverse communities;
Percentage of women hired; and,
Percentage of members from diverse communities hired.

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Diversity Goals

With the implementation and continuation of the 21-Point Plan, the LPS will achieve the following diversity recruiting goals over the course of the next three years.

Women - combined hires for constable and cadet

Identified racial minority - combined hires for constable and cadet

Equitable Representation and Participation

Every internal selection panel will be comprised of both men and women, and where possible, will include a member from a diverse background.
Every promotional panel shall be comprised of both men and women, and where possible, will include a member from a diverse background.

Breakwhands2

Measuring Progress

It will be the responsibility of the superintendant in charge of the Corporate Services Division to ensure each of the activities in this plan are monitored and tracked. Semi-annual reports will be forwarded to the Deputy Chief of Administration, and form part of the annual LPS Diversity, Equity and Inclusion report to the London Police Services Board.

The LPS Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Plan and available census information will be evaluated annually. This evaluation will allow successes to be capitalized on, and opportunities for improvement to be recognized and addressed. Changes to census information will allow for populations and rates to be adjusted accordingly. The LPS Employee Census, administered every three years, will also provide the data required to further adjust goals set for diversity within the police service. The next census will be administered in 2021.

“Diverse backgrounds and experiences contribute to a
diversity of thought and ideas.
“Regardless of whether we are sworn, civilian,
cadet or volunteer, together, we are stronger.”
-- Chief Steve Williams

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