Surrey’s black community is calling on the city and province to include them in ongoing policing changes to eliminate “the harmful effects of systemic racism and discrimination” in the police force.
“Despite all the evidence and admissions of systemic anti-Black racism in the police force and the lack of trust in the police force and the Canadian criminal justice system by Black communities across Canada, Surrey’s Black community has not been meaningfully included or consulted at any stage of the Surrey Police Service’s transition or services,” reads a letter from the Surrey Black, African, Caribbean (BAC) Advisory Committee to various politicians and police officers in Surrey, provided to Peace Arch News.
The BAC Committee is a Black-led umbrella coalition representing people of Black, African and Caribbean descent living in Surrey.
Given the ongoing debate and years of controversy surrounding the city’s police change, the BAC said its voice had not been heard from the beginning and called for change in a letter sent Monday morning (July 15).
“Unfortunately, it was so controversial, so militant, that there was no way for us to get involved in a moderate way. It was either you’re for the RCMP or you’re for the Surrey Police Service – that was the main discussion, and it didn’t come to us actually joining. Those two voices were screaming the loudest, so we didn’t want to get involved,” explained Lawrence Chidzambwa, CEO of Zicuso, a Surrey-based non-profit organization that supports people of Zimbabwean background, in an exclusive interview with PAN.
“Black people generally feel excluded from this process, from police decisions, even though we are the ones most affected by police presence. … It’s not about whether it’s the RCMP or the Surrey Police, it’s not about the uniform, it’s about the system behind it.”
Chidzambwa and Jonathan Cauri, the CEO of Umoja, another Surrey nonprofit that supports newcomers and people of ethnic minorities in the city, explained in an interview the intent of the letter, which the two signed along with several other Black-led organizations in British Columbia.
“The George Floyd experience is still very fresh. It should have been obvious that those making this decision should, if they really, really care about the issue, make sure they gain the trust of the community as a priority,” Cauri said, adding that it was not too late for dialogue.
A recent report by the Canadian government highlighted the racial injustice and discrimination affecting black communities in the country and made recommendations to combat these issues. In the report, released on June 27, the government acknowledges that anti-black racism in the country stems from colonialism, slavery and racial segregation, which still affect black people in Canada.
Black people are overrepresented in Canadian prisons and are also more likely to be victims of crime, the report says.
Earlier this year, British Columbia’s Human Rights Commissioner launched an investigation into police use of force against people of ethnic backgrounds and people with mental health problems.
“While available information suggests that violence is being used more frequently and with greater severity against these groups, there is currently no comprehensive data quantifying the impact in BC,” the commissioner said in a January news release.
In November 2021, the office also released a detailed report on racial injustices in policing in British Columbia, confirming concerns raised for decades by many people in the Black, Indigenous and other racially discriminated communities.
The report found that black people in Surrey were overrepresented in “criminal incidents,” “significantly overrepresented” in mental health incidents involving the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Surrey, and “significantly overrepresented” in arrests and strip searches.
For Cauri, the issue of black policing is a personal one, he said. His son was involved in a situation about seven years ago in which he was arrested and held overnight by police while chatting to a friend near a bus stop in Guildford.
Cauri says his son has been accused of pushing his girlfriend, a young white woman. However, he said that is not the case and his son only speaks expressively with his hands.
“I always told him, ‘Don’t let your hair down if you have dreadlocks, keep it short and don’t wear your hood up when you’re on the street.’ And that’s a conversation a lot of us have,” Cauri said.
Although police released Cauri the next day, the situation was traumatic, she says. When even one black person has a negative experience with the police, the entire community feels the impact, the BAC explains.
“Discrimination against black people is not only present in the police system, but any contact with the police can change your life. You get a record that affects your job search,” Chidzambwa explained.
“Those in power have used their power unfairly against black people.”
The 2021 report calls on the British Columbia government to reform police to “redefine the role of police in our province.”
This is also the BAC’s request to the City of Surrey and the province in the context of the ongoing police transition.
“Given the history and current impacts of systemic racism and discrimination, our priority is to support our community to thrive and ensure that equality is embedded in all areas of government policies and services,” the BAC advisory said.
“Canadian research consistently shows that black Canadians are more likely to be stopped, searched and questioned, more likely to be charged with a crime, and more likely to be seriously injured and/or killed in encounters with police than members of other ethnic groups.”
With Surrey home to 21 per cent of the province’s black population, the BAC committee is requesting meetings with staff and city council, Surrey RCMP, Surrey Police, Surrey Transit Police and the provincial government.
Cauri also added that many of his new arrivals come from countries where there is war or where a person in uniform seems threatening and frightening. This aspect also needs to be discussed, he said, and not only new arrivals from countries of African descent, but also those from the Middle East and other countries.
“Investing in community programs that address social issues such as poverty, homelessness, education, mental health, food security, child care, racism and discrimination, etc., is proving to be a powerful crime deterrent. … The BAC advocates for equitable redistribution and distribution of resources to organizations that work with the community to promote equity and overall community health and well-being,” the letter said.
The group is looking for an opportunity for everyone to have a “nuanced” conversation about policing, and with the city going through a policing transition, they believe now is the perfect time to do so. The black population isn’t a monolith either, Cauri adds, which is why it’s important to include a diverse range of people of black, African and Caribbean descent.
“If we don’t talk, nothing will change. We don’t want to create a huge ripple effect, we want to work together,” Chidzambwa said.
