Ajax Regional Councillor Sterling Lee is calling for immediate reform within the Durham Regional Police Service (DRPS) after a deputy chief was suspended for using the ‘N’ word during a meeting with Black officers and civilians. The incident, which took place during a meeting of the Afro-Caribbean Canadian Internal Support Network, has prompted Lee and other community leaders to demand changes within the police service, specifically in relation to anti-Black racism within its ranks.
According to Durham Police Chief Peter Moreira, the incident occurred during a meeting attended by uniformed officers, civilians, and members of the Afro-Caribbean Canadian organization. While the deputy chief’s language was not directed at any individual, it was deemed “offensive” and inconsistent with the values of the Durham Regional Police. In response, the deputy chief was suspended with pay while the incident is under investigation.
Lee condemned the use of the racial slur, stating, “This was not a generalized act of racial insensitivity. This was anti-Black racism.” He went on to argue that the deputy chief’s use of the term was not a simple mistake but an intentional act that carried significant weight. “He didn’t misspeak. He didn’t immediately apologize. He casually weaponized it as a superior, from a position of power, in a room full of Black subordinates who had no safe recourse in that moment,” Lee said.
This incident comes just weeks after another controversial event involving the Durham Police, where a Black lawyer was attacked by a Durham police officer inside the Oshawa courthouse. Lee expressed his frustration, noting, “It is maddening to witness the institutional power that allows certain people to get an investigation while others would simply be dismissed.”
Lee has long been outspoken about Durham Police’s racial diversity problem, citing the service’s unwillingness to change its culture and its failure to address concerns regarding equity, diversity, and inclusion. Since his election in 2018, Lee has been calling for reforms in recruitment, promotions, and training to reflect the diverse communities the police service serves. “I have continually called out the racial diversity problem within the DRPS,” Lee said. “The unwillingness to change their culture is endemic, and immediate reform is needed.”
Lee believes that the Durham Police needs to hire more racialized recruits, promote more racialized officers into leadership positions, and ensure that the police board reflects the diversity of the Durham Region community. He added, “It was my sincerest wish that reforms would progress before some truly awful incident occurred that irreparably damaged the reputation of the DRPS. That incident has now happened.”
Lee’s concerns were echoed by the InterNeighborhood Council (INC), a group working against the status quo in Durham’s police force. The INC also sent a letter to the city and county ahead of the public hearing being canceled, expressing similar concerns about institutionalized racism within the DRPS.
The recent incident involving the deputy chief, combined with previous incidents of racial insensitivity and violence, has further amplified calls for change. Lee concluded, “Enough is enough. It’s time for a change.”
