RCMP Chief Superintendent Richard (Dick) Bent
Racial Profiling and National Security: A Canadian Police Perspective

This paper examines the Canadian police experiences with Project Shock (the RCMP investigations in Canada as a result of the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States), the influence of interest groups in the crafting of the Anti-Terrorism Act, and the community outreach programs and other preventative measures the police in Canada use to safeguard against racial profiling in national security investigations.

This analysis will examine how the protections enshrined in the Charter and the Canadian Human Rights Act, the Canadian approach to identifying and targeting individuals and groups suspected of being involved in terrorist acts or other threats to national security, the practices and policies of government and police and the ongoing accountability through legislation and the courts fulfill their responsibility to provide the appropriate balance between the rights of individuals and the protection of society in reference to the issue of racial profiling.

A preliminary examination of whether there was racial profiling during Project Shock suggests that there were very few complaints of racial profiling by police. Nonetheless, the RCMP addressed this possibility and took several proactive steps to minimize the potential for conscious or subconscious profiling of suspects. These steps, such as meetings with diversity groups by senior police managers, will be explored.

Richard C. (Dick) Bent is Deputy Criminal Operations Officer, Community, Contract and Aboriginal Policing Services, RCMP “E” Division. Dick joined the RCMP in 1974 and served in Alberta for 20 years in a variety of roles. In 1993 Dick was transferred in charge of a Sub/Division General Investigation Section responsible for all serious crime investigations in the Peace River region of Alberta.

In 1994 he was promoted to the rank of Inspector in Nova Scotia, where he worked in planning the 1995 G7 Summit in Halifax, in the Staffing and Personnel Section, and finally as the Officer In Charge of the Federal Policing Branch for the province. In 1997 he was transferred to National Headquarters, where he gained exposure in a number of areas including the Finance Commissioner’s Secretariat, Criminal Intelligence and Community, Contract and Aboriginal Policing Directorates. He then worked for two years in Executive/Officer Development and Resourcing. In 2002 Dick was promoted to the rank of Chief Superintendent and transferred to the position of the Deputy Criminal Operations Officer in BC responsible for all Federal Policing in the province. In 2005 Dick assumed his current role.