The Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners was presented with a report recently with suggestions on how better to serve the Black Community and to identify systemic racism. One recommendation was helping recruiters to become more aware of unconscious bias through cultural safety, anti-racism and bias training in workplaces, including the Saskatoon Police Service.

Back in September of 2020, City Council asked Administration to identify and address systemic barriers related to things like hiring and retention, public engagement, and representation on advisory committees and boards.  As part of that, the City contracted the People Bridge Advocacy to lead the engagement project to find out what the challenges might be.

Another recommendation in the report is setting goals for representation on City committees and boards based on current demographics. The PBA suggests some committees that have a particular impact on Black Community members should have designated spots, for example on the Board of Police Commissioners.

As well the Board should meet often with Black Communities and their input should be considered in decision-making in the areas of policing visible minorities.

You can view the report here:  PBA recommendations