Chief of Police James Ramer addressed the media on Wednesday morning, delivering a brutally honest apology in response to the Toronto Police Service's (TPS) 2020 Race-Based Data Collection Strategy findings, admitting thefrankly obvious factthatprofiling and discriminationagainst members of racialized communities are a systemic issue on the force.

The Toronto Police andall law enforcement services in Ontariowere directed to begin collecting race-based data in instances of reportable use of force back in 2019, leading the TPS Board to approve a "Race-Based Data Collection, Analysis and Public Reporting" policy with an aim to identify a problem that was already plainly obvious to even the most casual observer.

The release of the Toronto Police Service's 2020 Race-Based Data Collection (RBDC) Strategy findings reads like a study commissioned to determine if the sky is in fact blue, confirming that racialized communities were overrepresented in strip searches, the use of force, and other areas.

#BREAKING: Toronto Police Chief James Ramer has apologized to Black, Indigenous and racialize people for use-of-force incidents and strip searches.

— Kris Pangilinan (@KrisReports)June 15, 2022

Despite only making up about 10 per cent of Toronto's population in 2020 during the study period, members of the Black community were over two times as likely to be stopped by police, and accounted for a staggering 22 per cent of what police describe as "enforcement actions."

Members of the Black community were found 1.6 times more likely to be subjected to the use of force by police, Latino populations 1.5 times, and Middle Eastern demographics by 1.2 times. There are many more troubling statistics available in the report, but this 230 per cent figure is truly shocking.

BREAKING: Toronto Police have released data showing Black people were 230% more likely to have a police officer point a firearm at them when they appeared to be unarmed than white people.

I don't want to hear anyone say that systemic racism doesn't exist in policing EVER AGAIN.

— Naheed Dosani (@NaheedD)June 15, 2022

"The results have confirmed what for many decades, racialized communities, particularly the Black and Indigenous communities have been telling us. that they are disproportionately overpoliced," said Ramer.

"This data demonstrates the unfortunate reality of those experiences."

Ramer said Toronto police has identified 38 actions items for change. Said this is a "continuous journey of reform."

— Wendy Gillis (@wendygillis)June 15, 2022

"As an organization, we have not done enough to ensure that every person in our city received fair and unbiased policing, and for this, as Chief of Police and on behalf of the service, I am sorry, and I apologize unreservedly."

"We must improve, and we will do better."

BREAKING: Toronto police apologize for thing they'll continue to do

— Walking Eagle News (@TheEagleist)June 15, 2022

In the days leading up to the press conference, Chief Ramer warned that there would be challenging days ahead for officers as the truth came to light, though some weren't feeling too sympathetic.

来ronto police apologise like a man who physically abuses his partner. Sorry on Sunday but back at it on the following Friday night.

哈利的儿子约翰·史密斯(莱斯利·史密斯)(@Harryslaststand)June 15, 2022

Many just don't see these methods changing overnight, while others are annoyed to see the release of data confirm what pretty much everyone has known about policing practices for generations.

Challenging days ahead for our boys in blue hopefully they won’t be too preoccupied during their long commutes to their homes out of townhttps://t.co/VjQFqOuQTC

— Dan Seljak (@anotherglassbox)June 14, 2022

Chief Ramer has briefed the media and the public on the next steps in tackling systemic racism in policing, but it's apparent that this issue is engrained in police culture and will need extensive reshaping before any meaningful change can occur.