Regina police inch toward workplace diversity goals

There was virtually no change in the number of Indigenous people and women working within the Regina Police Service in 2016 compared to 2015, according to a report submitted to the Regina board of police commissioners.

Women in under-represented positions and Indigenous workers were both down 0.2 per cent in 2016, with women representing 25.4 per cent of its workforce in under-represented occupations and Indigenous people representing 9.5 per cent.

While women fill about a quarter of the positions in under-represented positions, they make up about 41 per cent of the total workforce.

After a 1992 assessment which identified Regina's changing demographic, Regina police entered into a 20-year agreement with the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission to meet diversity goals and that agreement was extended indefinitely in 2012.

As part of that agreement, goals were set that included having a certain percentage of the workforce include women, Indigenous people, visible minorities and people with disabilities.

The number of people living with disabilities working for the Regina police increased by 0.8 per cent in 2016. The number of visible minorities was virtually unchanged, with a increase of 0.1 per cent.

Women filled about half (10 of 21) of senior management positions and 39 of 149 middle manager positions.

Indigenous people occupied one of 21 senior management positions and 19 of the 149 middle management positions.

There were no people with disabilities in senior management positions. People with disabilities filled 10 of the 149 middle manager positions.