Just one month after being sworn in as York Region’s new police chief, Jim MacSween took a strong stand against anti-Black racism in a video statement released yesterday, June 5.
The 31-year veteran of York Regional Police, who oversees a nearly $400 million annual budget and 2,300 employees, said he’s felt grief and pain since the May 25, 2020 killing of 46-year-old Minneapolis father George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer.
This week, MacSween said he reached out to Black community leaders in York Region and in speaking with them, said he “can hear their pain”.
“I know that our community is wounded. Anti-Black racism is tragic, it’s unjust, and it’s completely unacceptable,” MacSween said. “Everytime we put on this uniform, we are entrusted to protect the rights and freedoms of everyone in this community. That trust has been fractured.”
“Right now, it’s painfully obvious that there’s much more work to do to eliminate racism in all its ugly forms,” the chief said.
MacSween pledged York police’s commitment to listening to the region’s Black citizens, as well as continuing to educate local officers on the issues they face everyday in those communities.
“We will not tolerate actions based on bias, prejudice, racism, or hate,” MacSween said. “We will hold ourselves accountable and lead the change required in our profession. We are committed to being part of the solution as we forge a path forward.”
