2020

Equity, Diversity COVER

& Inclusion

reginapolice.ca
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Equity,
Diversity
& Inclusion
The Regina Police Service’s commitment to diversity and inclusion has evolved as it continues to strive to create
a workforce that is reflective of our community. A diverse workforce allows us to attract and retain talent, foster
innovation and creativity, and ensures we stay current in how we think and behave.

One of the Service’s strategic goals is to “build an inclusive and supportive culture that promotes employee
engagement and the health and well-being of all employees.” We continue to support, foster and promote
a respect for individual rights, freedoms and multicultural diversities within our community and within our
workplace.

The Regina Police Service’s ongoing diversity and inclusion strategy remains focused on recruiting and retaining
a diverse workforce, enabling all leaders to build a diverse and inclusive team, and offering programs and
initiatives for employees to enable them to fully participate in the workplace and contribute their unique
perspectives. We continue to review and improve policies and practices with a focus on removing unintended
barriers for equity groups.

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Employment Equity Progress
The Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission (SHRC) develops and provides businesses, employers, stakeholders with the
employment targets for the four designated equity groups. The targets reflect the ideal workforce representation of visible
minorities, Indigenous persons, people with disabilities, and women in underrepresented occupations. The SHRC released new
equity workplace targets in 2019, which are used for the 2020 reporting year as well. The targets for Regina are as follows:

2019/20 SHRC Equity Targets

Women in under-represented occupations 47.0%
Indigenous People 14.0%
People with Disabilities 22.2%
Visible Minorities 16.8%

Reporting on employment equity makes a valuable contribution and provides insight into the principles upon which equity
programs are based. Employers use equity objectives with other strategies to promote equality, diversity, and mutual respect
with the ultimate goal of a culture of inclusion. The Regina Police Service reaches beyond the employment equity groups through
valuing diversity and taking proactive steps to remove barriers and create a workplace that is respectful and inclusive.

We aspire to create an employee population that represents the available workforce population and is as diverse as the community
we serve. We are committed to a workplace and recruiting/employment practices which provide equal opportunities for all. The
following table details RPS historical representation of the four employment equity designated groups

Regina Police Service Employment Equity Statistics

2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 goal
Female Employees* 25.4% 25.9% 24.8% 25.2% 26.0% 47.0%
Indigenous Employees 9.5% 8.7% 8.3% 8.1% 8.1% 14.0%
Employees with Disabilities 5.4% 9.3% 7.7% 7.3% 2.7% 22.2%
Visible Minority Employees 6.7% 8.2% 8.2% 8.1% 8.1% 16.8%
* Women are considered underrepresented in an occupational classification if they occupy less than 45% of the positions.

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Representation and Historical Comparisons

Many factors affect the ability to successfully

recruit and retain diversity employees –
including but not limited to the nature of
the jobs, employment conditions (shift work,
limited permanent civilian opportunities)
and economic/job market conditions. The
net change in employees for 2020 was five
for a total of 632 employees, a 0.80 per cent
increase in total employees.

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Female Employees

The total percentage of female employees in the

Regina Police Service is 39.9%, down slightly from
40.7% in 2019. Although the total percentage
of female employees is down, women in under-
represented occupations is up slightly at 26.0%.

2020 Female Workforce Analysis

TOTAL FEMALE PERCENTAGE
POLICE 412 107 26.0%
Civilian Permanent 188 126 67.0%
Civilian Non-Permanent 32 19 59.4%
TOTAL 632 252 39.9%

Indigenous Employees

Indigenous recruiting continued to be a priority in

2020. In 2020, we had two Indigenous employees
retire, but hired two civilian Indigenous employees.
The total number of Indigenous employees remains
at 51 (8.1%).

2020 INDIGENOUS Workforce Analysis

FEMALE MALE TOTAL PERCENTAGE
POLICE 9 28 37 9.0%
Civilian Permanent 10 1 11 5.9%
Civilian Non-Permanent 2 1 3 10.3%
TOTAL 21 30 51 8.1%

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Persons with Disabilities

In 2020, we changed the way we report persons

with disabilities. In the past we included people
requiring accommodations at the end of the
fiscal year as having a disability. This is now
changed to only include those who have self-
declared a disability. For this reason the total
number went from 46 in 2019 to 17 in 2020. We
want to accurately reflect the true intent of the
collection and reporting of employment equity
numbers which rely on the individual’s self
reporting. Using the same methodology used
in 2019, the total percentage of persons with
disabilities would have been 8.7%.

2020 persons with disabilities Workforce Analysis

FEMALE MALE TOTAL PERCENTAGE
POLICE 4 9 13 3.2%
Civilian Permanent 3 0 3 1.6%
Civilian Non-Permanent 0 1 1 3.1%
TOTAL 7 10 17 2.7%

Visible Minorities

The number of people who identify as being a visible

minority remained steady for the last four years.
However, the graph shows that progress in the last
10 years has been substantial. The employees who
identify as a visible minority are well represented
in sworn and civilian roles. RPS is not meeting the
new overall target of 16.8%, but we are progressing
toward the representation goal. It is worth noting
that 13.64% of total civilians identify as visible
minority.

2020 visible minorities Workforce Analysis

FEMALE MALE TOTAL PERCENTAGE
POLICE 1 20 21 5.1%
Civilian Permanent 11 13 24 12.8%
Civilian Non-Permanent 1 5 6 18.8%
TOTAL 13 38 51 8.1%
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Turnover Rates

Police agencies, like other employers, spend time, money and resources on recruiting, selecting and training new employees.
Strategies for employee retention are important in maintaining the desired workforce. Turnover rates can be an indicator of the
work environment, available training, culture of an organization and ultimately the quality of hiring practices. RPS has a number
of practices that contribute to employee retention. Some of these include; on-boarding, recognition and awards, career paths,
workplace surveys, feedback opportunities, and exit interviews.

For the years 2010 to 2020 the average

sworn turnover rates 2010 - 2020 turnover rate for sworn employees was
YEAR TOTAL SWORN SWORN TURNOVER TURNOVER RATE 2.67% per year. Turnover rates ranged
2020 412 10 2.43% from less than 1% to just over 4% per
year in the last eleven years. When we
2019 408 5 1.23% include civilian employees, the turnover
2018 403 13 3.23% rate in 2020 is 3.38%.
2017 406 3 0.74%
2016 403 12 2.98%
2015 403 9 2.23%
2014 400 13 3.25%
2013 392 14 3.57%
2012 398 7 1.76%
2011 390 17 4.36%
2010 383 14 3.66%
*Turnover uses voluntary and involuntary separations and year-end total employees.

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Years of Service

The graph below shows the years of service for both sworn and civilian employees. Roughly 85% of RPS employees have less
than 20 years of service. It is interesting to note that a large portion of sworn members have tenure of 11 to 20 years in the
service, whereas the civilian employees largely have service of less than 10 years.

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Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives
Recruitment in 2020

Human Resources employs an Indigenous Resource Liaison Officer (IRLO), a Sergeant in charge of sworn recruiting and two
civilian HR Consultants who focus primarily on civilian recruiting. We continue to develop and improve practices and initiatives
to enhance our diversity recruiting and advance our retention objectives.

Unfortunately, in 2020, proactive recruiting initiatives and activities were significantly curtailed as the result of the Covid-19
pandemic. The recruiting unit was unable to conduct outreach and recruiting events in the usual manner and where personal
contact with candidates is so valued. Community groups and educational institutions had essentially shut down. Monthly
information sessions, the Citizen’s Police Academy and the Treaty Four Citizen’s Police Academy were all cancelled to ensure
employee and public safety. These activities have historically shown positive community outreach and numerous applicants
have commented that events such as these helped to solidify their interest in the RPS and policing in general.

In spite of the pandemic we continued to recruit through social media, arrange virtual interviews and continued necessary
recruiting activities in a safe and socially
distance manner, thereby fulfilling the recruiting
needs of RPS.

Recruitment Marketing and Communication

In late 2019, RPS developed new recruiting

materials including vehicle wraps, a new career
booth, posters and information postcards.
Further development of the marketing material
included information pieces for the explosive use
of social media. We saw significant increases
in Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn
activity in 2020. RPS’s online presence was
enhanced by the use of virtual posters advertising
the various informations sessions held in 2020.

Virtual information sessions, virtual career fairs

and virtual community outreach were the norm in
2020. Through social media we were able reach
community organizations, educational institutes
and interested candidates. RPS Media Unit played
a key role in our online presence and facilitated
media coverage of recruiting activities.

We have embraced technology and in doing so

were able to continue to successfully recruit for
sworn and civilian position, fill our Indigenous/
Diversity summer student program, facilitate
work placements, and hire for the diversity
mentorship program in early 2021.

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The IRLO worked with First Nations University of
Canada to confirm the Indigenous languages spoken by
Indigenous people of Saskatchewan. The IRLO wished
to promote Indigenous languages of Treaty 4 at Regina
Police Service and engage Indigenous communities
and applicants with the proper greetings. The poster
includes a greeting of Hello in the following languages;

tānisi (Cree Nehiyaw)

ānīn (Saulteaux-Anishnabe)

ʔedlán̨ et’e (Dene)

Háu (Nakota/Nakoda)
Hau (m), Haŋ (f) (Dakota)

Although community outreach activities, recruiting

events and partnerships continue to be impacted in
2021, we look forward to using social media, meeting
virtually and planning activities and initiatives for the
future.

In the coming years we look forward to our ongoing

partnership with the Saskatchewan Polytechnic
Aboriginal Police Preparation program, reinvigorating
the annual Treaty Four Citizen’s Police Academy,
attending recruiting events, and career fairs as well
as in person engagement by the IRLO, the Recruiting
Sergeant and the rest of the recruiting team.

We will continue to implement diversity focused

recruiting initiatives such as information nights, diversity POPAT training and additional education related to our written exam
(SIGMA). Providing information and assisting all candidates through the recruitment process helps to ensure their success. We
hope to partner with the City of Regina for a new recruiting software. This software will provide an on-line application process
and enable us to utilize a voluntary declaration within each application.

We will continue to offer diversity mentorship and summer student programs to enable us to attract more candidates and
provide alternative employment opportunities. We will also work to form partnerships with educational institutions, community
equity groups and other employers to offer opportunities to targeted candidates.

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Inclusive Culture and Engagement
Our diversity and inclusion strategy continues to focus on recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce, enabling all leaders
to build a diverse and inclusive team, and offering programs and initiatives for all employees to support diversity. Critical to
the strategy’s success is senior leadership commitment and employee involvement. This can be seen in the work of various
committees, the policies and practices, training initiatives, and the employee wellness survey.

Diversity and inclusion activities can be seen throughout the organization. The conversations and commitment to our projects
have been ongoing and many new initiatives were launched in 2020 and early 2021. Some of the highlights include the following
outreach, engagement and training initiatives:

Regina Police Service Elders’ Advisory Council

The Chief’s Elders Advisory Council meets quarterly with the Chief of Police, Deputy Chief, members of Executive and Cultural
and Community Diversity Unit to: renew relations, discuss community concerns, and provide feedback and recommendations to
the Service. Although we suspended our meeting with the Elders’ Advisory in 2020, we look forward to restarting them as soon as
it is safe to do so.

Black in Saskatchewan Meetings

The Regina Police Service was extremely thankful for the meeting held in July 2020, with representatives from Regina’s Black
Community. The dialogue continued at a September meeting and has continued into 2021. The Regina Police Service heard some
important messages from the Black in Sask group and has acted on initiatives and information sharing that contributes to
building a strong relationship with the Black Community.

Ongoing Organization Initiatives

We continue to ensure that diversity questions are included in all interviews for positions within RPS, and are on the promotional
exams for existing sworn officers. Other leading practices contributing to inclusion and engagement include; exit interviews,
recognition awards, health and wellness programming, training and development opportunities, and employee focused
communications and activities.

Employee Resource Group – BIPOC

RPS is currently working with interested employees to establish an employee resource group. Currently the group sees this
volunteer initiative being focused on Black, Indigenous and People of Colour. RPS endorses this type of volunteer employee
network, and will provide assistance to the group as they provide collaboration, education, activities and other supports that are
of benefit to both the employees and the employer.

Saskatchewan Women in Policing (SWIP)

The Saskatchewan Women in Policing (SWIP) is a newly conceived, non-profit organization

that aims to support and advance Saskatchewan women in the policing community, with an
emphasis on increasing women’s representation in leadership roles. These efforts are carried
out by providing the opportunity for women in policing to connect, to access female-centric
training, mentorship and to build strong professional relationships.

SWIP membership will be developed with the benefits of an inclusive social and professional environment while maintaining
focus on the goal of attaining female-centric space for career development. We use an inclusive definition of “female” and
“women” which includes cis female, trans women, genderqueer women, and non-binary people.
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Cultural and Community Diversity Unit

The Cultural and Community Diversity Unit was created in 1983. The mandate of the CCDU is to develop and maintain
communication between the Regina Police Service and all ethnic, religious and diverse communities within the city and
surrounding area, building relationships and understanding.

The CCDU was able to enhance inclusion activities by developing, arranging and conducting in-service training on cultural
and diversity issues. Just some of the examples of employee engagement activities facilitated by the Unit in 2020 and 2021
include: Black History Month video series, Aboriginal Story Telling Month, a celebration of Chinese New Year, recognition of
the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Orange Shirt Day, International Women’s Day and National
Indigenous Peoples Day.

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Black History Month –February

The Regina Police Service Cultural

and Community Diversity Unit
was excited to celebrate Black
History Month during the month
of February. During Black History
Month (2021), videos were
developed, featuring some of our
current and former employees,
sharing their experiences and
thoughts of what it is like to be a
Black person in Canada, Regina
and as an employee of the Regina
Police Service. Additionally,
email information about Black
history were distributed to
members throughout the month of
February to promote thought and
conversation and to remind us all of the rich contributions within our society from people of African and Caribbean decent, and
of the ongoing struggle for equity and social justice.

Aboriginal Storytelling Month

RPS celebrated Aboriginal Story

Telling month by sharing our
stories. February 5, 2020 would
have marked the 15th annual
RPS Round Dance, however,
due to COVID-19 restrictions it
was cancelled, sadly. Instead
we will release a video of
retired Cpl. Jim Pratt explaining
the RPS Round Dance story,
accompanied by drummer Aaron
Tootoosis.

RPS Connect Cultural page

offers members resources including; Protocol agreement with FHQTC, TRC Report, MMIWG Inquiry report, TRC educational
booklet, Tipi story, Eagle Staff story, Elder’s Advisory story, ceremony and feast protocol, Honour-based Violence checklist,
Honour-based violence protocol and procedures, What officers need to know about Muslims, ISIS timeline, GSD terms and
identities guide.

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Training and Development
RPS Truth and Reconciliation Committee

In 2020, the RPS Truth and Reconciliation Committee had planned to offer Cree
classes to any employee who was interested. A little delayed, but classes were
scheduled for March 2021, with the classes offered virtually.

As part of our Service’s commitment to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s

Calls to Action, we have purchased a copy of the book, “21 Things You May
Not Know About the Indian Act: Helping Canadians Make Reconciliation with
Indigenous Peoples a Reality” by Bob Joseph for every employee of our Service.

Block Training

Block training in 2021 includes a presentation on terminology in the Gender

and Sexual Diverse community. This training provides members with current
terminology, as well as the history of this group and police.

Indigenous Culture training is provided as mandatory training every 3 years at

the annual Block training for employees.

As a result of the collaborative meetings held in the summer of 2020, Black in

Sask agreed to participate in the Block training in 2021; providing a history of black people in Saskatchewan.

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Respectful workplace training

As an employer, we are obligated to provide all employees with a safe work environment which includes both physical and
psychological safety. An environment that is respectful in nature and free of harassment supports a psychologically safe work
environment.

We have chosen to utilize the Respect Group to assist us in our training needs. The Respect Group was founded by Sheldon
Kennedy and Wayne McNeil in 2004 in pursuit of their common passion: the prevention of bullying, abuse, harassment and
discrimination. They developed an online training tool for workplaces, sport, and schools.

Online Respectful Workplace Training was delivered as mandatory for every employee of the service. Employees were required to
complete the training by April 30, 2020.

Bell Let’s Talk 2020

Every year RPS acknowledges and participates in Bell Let’s Talk Day. This day reminds us that talking is the best way to start
breaking down the barriers associated with mental health. These conversations may ask us to challenge our understanding and
attitudes about mental health and mental illness, and it may help us to think about making connections to our own lives.

As an organization, a large focus moving forward will be on the psychological well-being of our employees and our organization.
When it comes to mental health, every action counts. In an effort to continue our work in reducing stigma and removing barriers
for individuals in accessing support, in 2020 we launched Mental Health Mondays which ran for 2 months.

On Mental Health Mondays, we shared video stories from employees about their experience. Talking about our experiences is the
first step in reducing the stigma that often still exists. It is important to normalize the conversation and remember that 1 in 5
Canadians will experience a mental health concern or mental illness in their lifetime.
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Twenty Observations (2000 – 2020)
1. In the year 2000, there was one female in the rank of
Sergeant or higher. In 2020, there are 17 females in the 2. Since 2000, 685 promotions have
been celebrated, as sworn and
civilian employees continue to develop 685
rank of Sergeant or higher, including a Superintendent.
and thrive in their careers at RPS.

x 3.
Since 2000, the num-

2 ber of female officers

has more than doubled
from 52 to 107. ↑59% ↑200%
4.
The number of

59% 5.
Indigenous employees Since 2000, there has been a
+ increased by 59%
since 2000.
200% increase in employees
identifying as a visible minority.

6. Twenty-one years ago, 45% of

employees were part of at least
one of the equity groups. In 2020, that

26+ 7.
number rose to 59%. In 2020, 14 sworn members and 9 civilians had over
26 years of service. For total employees the average
years of service is 13.

8. Between 2000
and 2020, 235
sworn members have
retired having had
long and successful
careers with the
Regina Police Service.

9. Created in 2016, the Indigenous Recruitment Liaison

Officer position focuses attention on increasing quali-
fied Indigenous applicants for sworn and civiliam positions.
This happens through building and maintaining relation-
ships and communication with the Indigenous community.

10. The Regina Police Service’s summer student and

mentoring programs are aimed at providing im-
mersive opportunities for young, diverse people interested in
working at RPS. Since 2008, RPS has hired a combination of
20 summer and mentoring students.

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11. As an employer of choice, many educational institutions
and programs seek RPS participation in work
placements or practicum opportunities. Between 2000 and 2019,
12. The Citizen’s Police Academy is extremely
popular with both general citizens and aspiring
police officers. Between 2001 and 2020, 1370 people
RPS had 48 work placement or practicum students.
attended CPA and received an inside look at how RPS
serves their community.

13. 35+ 14.

Completing the POPAT (Police
Officer Physical Abilities Test)
in the required time of 4 minutes and 45
seconds is something all sworn candidates
must do.
Over 35 languages are spoken by RPS
employees. Many volunteer to provide
language interpretation services when required.

In 2018 and 2019, RPS offered Diversity

POPAT preparation classes for a total of
60 women.
16.
Indigenous
Our new
digital,

languages poster
was recently

15. RPS Twitter account was created in

2014. The use of social media for
recruiting continues to grow at rapid pace
used to promote
two online
information
with significant increases in engagement on sessions. The
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn in posts for the
2020. events reached
26,852 and
13,558 people,

414
generating a
5000% increase
in web page

17. Regina Police Service has traffic in a 30

hired 414 graduates of the day period.
Saskatchewan Police College since
2000.
18. While attending the Saskatchewan Police College,
each RPS recruit is requred to complete 150 miles
of outdoor running. Based on this, RPS recruits have
clocked roughly 100,000 kilometers at college in the last 2

16% decades.

19. In 2020,
there was

20.
a 16% increase Career planning in January?
in traffic to the Over the past 5 years, traffic
recruiting website: on the “Officer Recruitment”
(www.reginapolice.ca) section of the website has been the
highest during the first month of the year.
The busiest January on record was January
2020 - averaging 86 views per
day.
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 Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Action Plan
In late 2020, RPS began to plan and develop an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan. Through this Plan the Regina Police
Service will be able to demonstrate and communicate its commitment to diversity and inclusion, and provide key actions and
initiatives that will remove barriers across the organization to create a more inclusive workforce.

As an organization, when we value diversity and we are committed to building a more inclusive workforce, we are able to
see positive outcomes for the organization, our teams and individuals. There will be increased organizational performance
and effectiveness through improved decision-making, increased employee engagement, satisfaction and a more productive
workforce.

Fostering, valuing and embedding diversity and inclusion in the Regina Police Service is the collective responsibility of all
employees at all levels.

This framework provides the Regina Police Services with direction and sets out key actions and initiatives for diversity and
inclusion while ensuring alignment with the organization’s values. Through the implementation of the Action Plan, the Regina
Police Service will be able to:

• attract and retain diverse employees who are reflective of the community we serve;

• create an inclusive and supportive workplace for all employees that is free from racism and
discrimination;

• provide employees with tools and supports to identify and address systemic barriers in order to build a
diverse and inclusive workplace;

• create a workplace where each individual feels welcomed and supported, valued and respected, and are
able to be their authentic selves in the workplace; and

• build and sustain a culture that positions the Regina Police Service for the future.

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The Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan will act as a roadmap to help guide the organization in its efforts to become
more diverse and inclusive. Five goals that have been drafted to guide and support the Regina Police Service in achieving its
objectives:

1. Inspire accountability across the organization, where all employees

support and promote the behaviours of a diverse and inclusive
workplace;

2. Develop intercultural competence through awareness, education and

training;

3. Enhance recruitment and selection tools and processes;

4. Foster and maintain a safe, inclusive and supportive workplace for all
employees; and

5. Establish and maintain strong partnerships with community

organizations and stakeholders.

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R EGIN A POL ICE SER V ICE
reginapolice.ca