The Hamilton Police Service says it’s changing the way it collects information about race and identity and is reaching out to the community for help.

This follows data released last year that showed Black people face “gross over-representation” when it comes to the use of force in the city.

An information session was held Wednesday night where the service invited racialized groups as they search for eight to ten volunteers to be a part of a community advisory panel.

The force says the panel will be instrumental in developing its strategy moving forward.

“A collaborative approach, without them, the success would not be there.” said Jim Callender of the Hamilton Police Service.

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Hamilton police have been tracking the race and identity of those involved in use-of-force incidents since 2020, in line with a provincial mandate.

They are now developing a new data strategy and are looking for input directly from the community.

“Their voices are what will direct their perspective. They’ll help us understand what’s going on behind the data, what’s the context behind the data, how does that data relate to the community. They will provide strategic advice and feedback and movement and action planning to help us drive that strategy forward to a positive outcome.” said Callender.

Last year, police in the city released use-of-force data that showed Black people faced “gross over-representation” among those that officers used force on, prompting advocacy groups to call on police to take action.

Executive Director of the Hamilton Anti-Racism Resource Centre, Lynden George, says community voices should lead the way when it comes to selecting panel members, not the police.

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“These lived experiences when it comes to use of force statistics are not just numbers and so when we’re talking about race identity based data strategy. We need to understand these lived experiences have to be a part of the design and lead the discussion about this.” said Lynden.

The new data strategy will include an internal project team and a community advisory panel made up of eight to ten volunteers, who will provide perspectives to ensure the strategy is well-rounded.

“We are looking for the diverse perspectives of our community, we’re looking for anybody who has a background in data collection if that’s something you have, but also looking for the academics, people working in advocacy social justice, trauma informed approaches, all the pieces of the puzzle that will help us drive a strategy that speaks to race and identity based data.” Callender said of the panel.

Police are encouraging those interested in joining the panel to submit applications by March 22.