Fair and Impartial Policing Procedure

General

The London Police Service procedure on Fair and Impartial Policing leads with a statement of commitment to internal and external fairness and equity in its dealings with members of the public and with its employees. The procedure acknowledges that bias is a universal phenomenon of human nature which, left unchecked, leads to discrimination. In the policing context, biased decisions and actions lead to the erosion of trust and confidence in the police on the part of the public.

Glossary

Key concepts relevant to the elimination of bias in policing are defined in the procedure, notably:

Fair and Impartial Policing: a commitment to provide quality policing services to all people in a respectful, professional, fair, and impartial manner without discrimination based on protected grounds of the Ontario Human Rights Code.

Cultural Humility: a lifelong commitment to self-evaluation and critique, to redressing power imbalances and to developing mutually beneficial and non-paternalistic partnerships with communities on behalf of individuals and defined populations.

The procedure defines and prohibits “bias-based profiling” and “racial profiling”, and contrasts both with “investigative profiling”, a permissible tactic based on behaviours and the description of a specific individual.

Accountability

The procedure holds all members accountable for the delivery of fair and impartial service free of discrimination based on stereotyping and bias. Individuals holding certain positions throughout the organization (e.g., supervisors, senior leaders) have added responsibilities specific to addressing behaviour that contravenes the procedure.

Training

The procedure calls for the regular delivery, and annual review, of education in bias-recognition for all members of the LPS, to promote accountability; support equitable, fact-based decision-making; preserve police legitimacy; and maintain public trust.

Human Resources

The procedure lists several high-frequency HR processes (e.g., hiring, promotions, performance appraisal, etc.) in recognizing the potential for bias and discrimination to pervade everyday activities that touch the entire organization, and reaffirms the LPS commitment to fair and equitable treatment of all who operate within it, or who interact with it.