After viewing a disturbing video of an RCMP officer in Alberta, tackling and punching a First Nations Chief, the Prime Minister says reforms need to take place in policing in Canada.

During his COVID-19 update, Justin Trudeau was asked, given a senior officer decided the force was not excessive, if it pointed to systemic racism in the force. The Prime Minister says we have seen examples of systemic racism and discrimination in many different ways and that’s why we need to address it seriously. He says we need to look at the entire system in order to improve it and we need clear, transparent investigations in the cases brought forward.

Trudeau says the independent probe into the violent arrest in Alberta must be transparent. But he also acknowledges, this is not an isolated incident. He says far too many black and Indigenous Canadians do not feel safe around police and its unacceptable. He says, “As governments, we have to change that.” He reiterated a call for police, including the RCMP to be equipped with body cameras.