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Anti-Racism Advisory Panel (ARAP)

In April 2018, as a result of a recommendation made by the jury at the Inquest into the Death of Andrew Loku, the Toronto Police Services Board established an Anti-Racism Advisory Panel (ARAP).

Over the next two years, ARAP was involved in a number of important issues, including assisting in the drafting of a new Race-Based Data Collection, Analysis and Public Reporting Policy for the Board and the development of a framework to monitor the implementation of the recommendations made by the jury in the inquest into the death of Andrew Loku. At its meeting of August 18, 2020, the Board approved ARAP’s “Recommended Monitoring Framework for the Implementation of the Recommendations Arising from the Inquest into the Death of Andrew Loku,” concluding the inaugural mandate of ARAP.

At the same meeting, the Board approved 81 recommendations related to police reform that put into place a roadmap for comprehensive policing reform and include building new community safety response models, initiatives to address systemic racism and concrete steps to improve trust with our communities. In addition, a number of recommendations focused on ARAP directly, including a recommendation making ARAP permanent and building in certain requirements to its structure, and a recommendation naming its new Co-Chairs, Ainsworth Morgan and Anthony Morgan.

Membership

At its meeting of February 25, 2021, the Board approved the membership of ARAP (Min. No. P2021-0225-3.0. refers).

  • Councillor Lily Cheng (Co-Chair)
    Lily Cheng is the Councillor for Ward 18 Willowdale, taking office on November 15, 2022. A Willowdale resident for over a dozen years, Councillor Cheng is a passionate, visionary leader in the community. Four years ago, Councillor Cheng co-founded We Love Willowdale (WLW), a movement created after the tragic van attack to help the community grieve and heal. Her journey as a community organizer began 9 years ago with the founding of North York Moms, a thriving community on Facebook of over 11,000 moms. Councillor Cheng has tirelessly worked for Willowdale for many years including spearheading the Willowdale Covid Response Network to support the community through the pandemic. Councillor Cheng has a track record of identifying problems in Willowdale and taking action. Her advocacy led to the establishment of a much needed walkable Yonge and Sheppard EarlyOn Child and Family Centre. She has also established programs and support for challenges often overlooked by the government including seniors accessing grocery shopping support during the pandemic and food insecurity experienced by families. During the pandemic, she addressed social isolation by expanding Willowdale Neighbours Connect, an active online community she started for the neighbourhood that has helped many feel a deeper sense of belonging in Willowdale. Councillor Cheng’s greatest strength is described as being able to inspire connectivity and participation in Willowdale for the greater good and building the infrastructure necessary to make things happen. Councillor Cheng was appointed to the Toronto Police Services Board in November 2022.
  • Asante Haughton (Co-Chair)
    Asante Haughton is a seasoned mental health and social justice advocate, specializing in elucidating the impacts of racism, poverty and community violence on wellbeing. With experience as a front-lines case manager with Pathways to Education, and now as a peer support specialist, trainer and program manager with Stella's Place, Asante seeks to foster justice and equity for the underserved and marginalized. He is a 2x TEDx speaker, was named as one Canada's top 150 mental health difference makers by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, is a contributing editor to Inspire Magazine, a working group member of the government of Canada's Mental Health of Black Canadians fund, a host of the music making peer support web show, Cypher, and co-founder of the Reach Out Response Network, an organization advocating to bring about non-police led mobile mental health crisis reform. Focused on building bridges, Asante believes that dialogue, cooperation and community can generate solutions to most of society's toughest problems.
  • Shamso Elmi
    Shamso Elmi is the co-founder of Mending a Crack in the Sky (MCIS), a dynamic program that consists of a dedicated group of Somali mothers who are passionate about creating safe spaces to heal, mobilize, advocate and navigate socioeconomic systems. The group is inspired by a Somali proverb stating that, “if people come together, they can even mend a crack in the sky.” In addition to MCIS, Shamso’s dedication and passion have allowed her to become a symbolic figure in the community. Advocacy has become Shamso’s legacy through her work as a workshop facilitator, interpreter, community worker, and addressing youth radicalization.
  • Michele Hamilton
    Michele Hamilton has been an equity seeker and advocate since childhood. After studying sociology and criminology at the University of Toronto, she began her career as a Social Service Worker, supporting adults with developmental and mental health disabilities. She was active in union and worker rights before studying law at Osgoode Hall Law School, where she was the local president and the national VP of the Black Law Students Association of Canada. Michele articled at the African Canadian Legal Clinic which focused on addressing systemic anti-Black racism. Michele has worked with labour organizations for over 20 years and has a special interest and expertise in human rights and police law. She was In House Counsel and also served as the anti-Harassment Ombudsperson to the Ontario Provincial Police Association from 2012 to February 2021.
  • Shayle Graham
    Shayle Graham is a social philanthropist who builds authentic partnerships with community organizations and institutions, for the advancement of racialized youth and for the sustainability of Black communities. Through her experience as a coach in the areas of equity, anti-racism and anti-oppression; a community activist who partners with stakeholders to decrease the chances of marginalized youth having negative experiences with law enforcement; and the founder of a non-profit organization that disrupts the barriers preventing Black girls from occupying particular spaces, Shayle dedicates her time, skills, resources and networks to create systemic impact.
  • Andre Fullerton
    Andre Fullerton, MBA is a father, educator, community developer and social justice change agent who maintains a flair for fostering positive relations with the community and other stakeholders. With over 20 years of experience working professionally in various capacities of community engagement, Andre has worked with a variety of organizations including Toronto Community Housing Corporation, Tropicana Community Services and currently with the Toronto Catholic District School Board. A graduate of the Ivey Business School, Andre is eager to share his educational, work and life experiences to this committee in hopes of working together with the Toronto Police to make our communities safe.
  • H. Roy Wellington
    Born and raised in Toronto, Roy Wellington received his law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School (York University) in 2012. Since serving his articles at the Ministry of the Attorney General for Ontario, Crown Law Office - Civil, he has practiced administrative and criminal defence law throughout the province. In representing clients, Roy examines the real world outcomes of police policies and procedures as experienced by racialized and otherwise marginalized communities. Roy has represented clients at two Coroners Inquests and participated in the Board’s virtual town hall in July, 2020.
  • Ayderus Alawi
    Ayderus Alawi has worked as a criminal defence lawyer in the Greater Toronto area for almost a decade. Ayderus attended York University where he completed both an Honours bachelor's degree in political science followed by a law degree. Ayderus has spent over twenty years working in the community in a variety of roles where he has maintained a strong commitment to work towards addressing issues of discrimination and systemic issues including anti-Black racism.
  • Horace Knight
    Horace Knight is a retired Human Resources Manager having worked in the municipal government and education sectors. Throughout his career, Horace provided advice and support to managerial staff on a range of policies which included anti-racism. This involved conducting investigations and when required issuing discipline to policy violators. He is currently a member of committee at his church that is organizing and running anti-racism seminars and learning series on anti-racism. Horace is also a director and past chair of the Stonegate Ministry Board, a charity in Southeastern Etobicoke catering to that low-income neighbourhood.
  • Rayon Brown
    Rayon Brown is a seasoned community development business professional, deeply driven by the holistic approach grounded in principles of empowerment, human rights, inclusion, social justice, self-determination and collective action. Currently, Rayon is the Community Economic Development Director of Helping Neighbourhoods Implement Change - a non-profit organization deeply rooted in under-serviced communities, to equip individuals with tools and resources, and build their capacity through training and mentorship.
  • Keith Talley
    Keith Talley is a senior IT executive, with a successful track record in strategic planning and implementation of transformational IT solutions, recommending process improvements while creating and aligning high-performing teams. In addition to Information Technology, Keith has held key roles in Operations, Vendor Management and Facilities Management. Keith looks to draw on his experience as an IT leader, as well as his ability to “think outside of the box,” to assist ARAP in developing innovative solutions to confront racism in policing.
  • Jennifer Chambers
    Jennifer Chambers is the Executive Director of the Empowerment Council, an organization that serves as a voice for clients/survivors and ex-clients of mental health and addiction services, primarily of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. The Empowerment Council had standing at the Andrew Loku Inquest and informed the resulting recommendations. She was a Co-Chair of the Board’s former Mental Health Sub-Committee and is also co-chair of the Board’s Mental Health and Addictions Advisory Panel (MHAAP).
  • Superintendent Stacy Clarke (TPS Representative)
    Superintendent Stacy Clarke is the Unit Commander of the Community Partnerships and Engagement Unit. Stacy’s diverse policing career has included working in primary and community response units, intelligence, homicide, criminal investigative bureau and the Toronto Police College. She is known for implementing the Province’s Street Check Legislation and Co-chairing the Police and Community Engagement Review (PACER 2.0) Committee. She is also a past Service representative on the Board’s Anti-Racism Advisory Panel (ARAP).
  • Superintendent Ishmail Musah (TPS Representative)
    Ishmail Musah currently holds the rank of Inspector with the Toronto Police Service and is in his 22nd year of policing. His current role is that of a Duty Senior Officer within the Toronto Police Operations Centre.

    Ishmail has extensive frontline divisional policing experience throughout the city. He has worked from Parkdale to The Beaches, from Little Jamaica to the Danforth and many places in between. His experience also includes working in plainclothes units, traffic collision investigations unit and the community response unit.

    As a Staff Sergeant, Ishmail has been the Officer In Charge of Primary Response Units, the Public Safety Response Team and of a Divisional Community Response Unit. Ishmail was also one of the leads in the Service’s Organizational Change Management Unit. This was the first organizational change management unit in Canadian policing history. The unit worked to manage the “people side of change” as the Service began to implement the modernization recommendations set forth in the 2017 Action Plan: The Way Forward.

    Ishmail held the role of Executive Officer to the Deputy Chief of Community and Neighbourhoods Command, where he assisted with the operations and performance for the Command. As part of his work as Executive Officer, Ishmail worked closely with the Community Partnership and Engagement Unit and helped to oversee the implementation of the Services’ new Mental Health and Addiction Strategy.
  • Sergeant Ian Searles – Neighbourhood Officer, 55 Division (TPS Representative)
  • Police Constable Cailia Khan – Neighbourhood Officer, 32 Division (TPS Representative)
  • Ian Williams, Director - Information Management (TPS Representative)
    Ian Williams is the Manager of Analytics & Innovation Unit. Ian has extensive experience in information management and analytics and the work of Ian’s teams support members across the Toronto Police Service, and community members. Ian’s teams created, and continue to develop, the Toronto Police Service Public Safety Data Portal, an industry-leading open data and analytics site that supports community safety and wellbeing awareness. Ian drives information management and analytics practices to improve community safety and wellbeing outcomes for all stakeholders.
  • Svina Dhaliwal, Chief Administrative Officer - Corporate Services Command (TPS Representative)
    Svina Dhaliwal joined the Service in 2018 as the Director of Finance and Business Management and has recently assumed the role of Director of People and Culture. Svina oversees all aspects of a member’s employee journey with the Service; hiring, training, wellness, equity and inclusion, payroll & benefits, labour relations, workforce analytics and human resource strategy. She also serves as Co-Chair for the Service’s French Community Consultative Committee. Svina has extensive experience in organizational transformation including strategy development, service delivery models, change management and value realization. She is a Board Director for the Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences Foundation and a financial literacy volunteer with the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario.

ARAP's Mandate

ARAP's mandate is to advise and support the Board in relation to policing and racism, anti-Black racism and anti-Indigenous racism, including:

  1. Identifying current issues relating to racism, anti-Black racism, anti-Indigenous racism and policing, including developing and/or recommending policies, strategies and action plans for approval by the Board;
  2. Monitoring the implementation of the Toronto City Council’s Action Plan to Confront Anti-Black Racism;
  3. Monitoring the implementation of the Board’s Race-Based Data Collection, Analysis, and Public Reporting Policy, including reviewing the data analysis and any interventions developed by the Service to address racial disparities for feedback and recommendations for enhancement;
  4. Monitoring the implementation of the recommendations from the Andrew Loku Inquest through the monitoring framework previously developed by ARAP;
  5. Reviewing Service reports on Conducted Energy Weapon (CEW) use and making recommendations for enhancement;
  6. Monitoring the implementation of inquest recommendations as appropriate;
  7. Reviewing the development and implementation of all Service training and offering recommendations for enhancement, including training on anti-racism;
  8. Monitoring the implementation of the recommendations in the present report and providing advice to the Board on necessary enhancements and improvements; and
  9. Participating in the community consultation process on the Toronto Police Service’s annual budget.