What do young people want to see in Toronto’s next police chief?
Tuesday, February 17th, 2015 @ 1:48PM
Improving the relationship between the Toronto Police Service and the city’s youth starts by giving young people a seat at the table, says Kevin Vuong, a member of the Toronto Youth Cabinet.
“No one one [at] the Police Services Board is under 40. They don’t have to be young to understand young people’s issues, but it is a lot more challenging,” adds Vuong.
He and his colleagues want a youth liaison appointed to the police board. To bolster their case, they’re surveying young people across Toronto about their experience with police and what they want to see in the city’s next police chief.
The results of the poll will be presented to the board on Feb. 19.
According to Vuong, many young people in Toronto have experienced “discrimination or abuse” at the hands of police. He also listed the killing of 18-year-old Sammy Yatim in 2013 and the issue of racial profiling as examples of how youth have lost trust in police.
“One of the largest groups that interact with police is young people,” Vuong said. “It’s important that we have a say in how the police service operates, especially when it comes to their leadership.”
Vuong did have high praise for outgoing police chief Bill Blair, saying his successor should continue his emphasis on community engagement.
The survey is open until Feb. 16, and can be found online at thetyc.ca. Participants can also share their views using the #ChooseYourChiefTO hashtag on Twitter.
