The RCMP says it is expanding an initiative to collect, analyze and report race-based data on police interactions to Yellowknife.
A Friday news release states the Race-Based Collection Initiative aims to help RCMP better understand policing outcomes for Indigenous, Black and other racialized people as well as identify and address systemic racism within policing.
“Collecting race-based data helps the RCMP identify trends, improve accountability and make informed decisions to better serve communities,” the release states.
RCMP said through the initiative, “officer-perceived” race-based information will be collected for police interactions involving use of force as well as wellness checks and arrests. It said race-based information will not be collected for complainants, witnesses or missing people.
The RCMP said it is collecting officer-perceived information about a person’s race, rather than self-identification, to understand how bias may affect police decision-making.
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“The RCMP chose this approach to protect privacy and to learn from the pilot before considering other options in the future,” the press release states.
RCMP said they plan to use the data to identify trends, review policies and practices, and improve training. RCMP said they plan to make the findings public and discuss next steps with communities.
The initiative will focus on systemic issues rather than individual officers, the RCMP said, and it does not collect race-based information to discipline members
The initiative was launched as a pilot in several locations, including Whitehorse and Fort McMurray, in 2024,
Alongside Yellowknife, the initiative is being expanded to Nunavut in 2026 among other locations. RCMP said as of this month, the initiative is underway in 40 locations across Canada.
