FadeTheButcher
07-16-2004, 08:02 AM
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20040715/TBLACK15/TPNational/Toronto
When Doreen Denise Guy started as a Toronto police constable in 1987, her colleagues wouldn't work with her. On some days three or four different officers would refuse the assignment. They made racist jokes in her presence, talked about "******s," and clashed with her over the importance of sticking together as police.
She stood up to them, and she says it cost her.
Ms. Guy, 45, who went to night school throughout her career and earned two university degrees, retired in February without ever receiving a promotion. At her retirement party, she launched a withering attack on racism in the force.
She questioned why black officers in Toronto remained so quiescent, when their counterparts in the United States were forcing equity upon their employers through the court system.
Police spokesman Mark Pugash said yesterday he was aware of Ms. Guy's retirement speech, but said she didn't lodge a formal complaint with police, nor did she mention her concern in her exit interview.
He said police training has moved on in leaps and bounds. Since 1991, all officers and civilian employees of the force must undergo three days of diversity training.
Ms. Guy started her police career in the records office in 1982, but became a uniformed officer five years later. She described her rookie year as horrible. Officers whispered about how standards had been lowered to hire blacks and women. As she tried to learn a new and difficult job, she had no one to turn to.
Then, she said, she went toe to toe with a veteran cop who was making offensive remarks about blacks. "My problems started because I chose to speak out on the issue of racism," she said.
After that, rumours about her began to circulate. Officers questioned her reliability. She refused to sign a police association petition demanding a city councillor be removed from office. She also voiced opposition to the association's endorsement of political candidates.
Colleagues gave her the silent treatment. One officer refused to let her get out of the car when they responded to calls. Over those first six months in uniform, Ms. Guy said, she became a "nervous wreck" and a shadow of her former self.
She was repeatedly passed over for promotion, but believed she was more competent than those who were chosen. She had good evaluations, was never in trouble, and was committed to lifelong learning.
"You start to narrow it down," she said. "You're not an idiot. Someone doesn't have to call you a name to your face."
Six years ago, she gave up on promotion and started planning her retirement. She hopes to have a second career teaching policing techniques in the Caribbean. if (navigator.userAgent.indexOf("Gecko") == -1 && navigator.userAgent.indexOf("Netscape") == -1) { if (document.getElementById){ css_tableJig(); } } else { document.write(".boxad { float: none; clear: none;}") }
When Doreen Denise Guy started as a Toronto police constable in 1987, her colleagues wouldn't work with her. On some days three or four different officers would refuse the assignment. They made racist jokes in her presence, talked about "******s," and clashed with her over the importance of sticking together as police.
She stood up to them, and she says it cost her.
Ms. Guy, 45, who went to night school throughout her career and earned two university degrees, retired in February without ever receiving a promotion. At her retirement party, she launched a withering attack on racism in the force.
She questioned why black officers in Toronto remained so quiescent, when their counterparts in the United States were forcing equity upon their employers through the court system.
Police spokesman Mark Pugash said yesterday he was aware of Ms. Guy's retirement speech, but said she didn't lodge a formal complaint with police, nor did she mention her concern in her exit interview.
He said police training has moved on in leaps and bounds. Since 1991, all officers and civilian employees of the force must undergo three days of diversity training.
Ms. Guy started her police career in the records office in 1982, but became a uniformed officer five years later. She described her rookie year as horrible. Officers whispered about how standards had been lowered to hire blacks and women. As she tried to learn a new and difficult job, she had no one to turn to.
Then, she said, she went toe to toe with a veteran cop who was making offensive remarks about blacks. "My problems started because I chose to speak out on the issue of racism," she said.
After that, rumours about her began to circulate. Officers questioned her reliability. She refused to sign a police association petition demanding a city councillor be removed from office. She also voiced opposition to the association's endorsement of political candidates.
Colleagues gave her the silent treatment. One officer refused to let her get out of the car when they responded to calls. Over those first six months in uniform, Ms. Guy said, she became a "nervous wreck" and a shadow of her former self.
She was repeatedly passed over for promotion, but believed she was more competent than those who were chosen. She had good evaluations, was never in trouble, and was committed to lifelong learning.
"You start to narrow it down," she said. "You're not an idiot. Someone doesn't have to call you a name to your face."
Six years ago, she gave up on promotion and started planning her retirement. She hopes to have a second career teaching policing techniques in the Caribbean. if (navigator.userAgent.indexOf("Gecko") == -1 && navigator.userAgent.indexOf("Netscape") == -1) { if (document.getElementById){ css_tableJig(); } } else { document.write(".boxad { float: none; clear: none;}") }