NCJ Number
210874
Journal
Canadian Journal of Criminology and Criminal Justice Volume: 47 Issue: 3 Dated: July 2005 Pages: 581-609
Date Published
July 2005
Length
29 pages
Annotation
This study critiques previous research on racial profiling within the criminal justice system in Canada and presents findings from a Toronto study on racial profiling among police officers.
Abstract
The problem of racial profiling has emerged as one of the most controversial issues plaguing the Canadian criminal justice system. Researcher Thomas Gabor claimed in a 2004 article that fears of racial profiling within the Canadian criminal justice system were unfounded and “inflammatory.” The current article refutes Gabor’s claim by offering survey research findings indicating that Black youth are significantly more likely to report being stopped and searched by police in Toronto than are youths of other racial backgrounds. The analysis was based on the Toronto Youth Crime and Victimization Survey, which was conducted in 2000 with a random sample of 3,393 high school students from public and Catholic school systems in Toronto. Results of logistic regression analysis indicated that the impact of race on treatment by police remained strongly significant even after controlling for factors such as social class, self-reported criminal activity, gang membership, drug and alcohol use, and public leisure activities. The discussion centers on arguments for and against the official collection of police stop and search data, which range from arguments about methodological difficulties to how the data collection might impact police effectiveness. The consequences of racial profiling for minority citizens are also considered. Future research should include controls for neighborhood factors. Tables, notes, references, appendix