Pathway to Justice? The Role of Racial Bias Training in Modern Canadian Policing.

This article examines the perceptions and long-term impact of a mandatory anti-racism training module focused on racial trauma and the historical effects of racism in Canadian policing, delivered to newly recruited frontline officers in a municipal police service. Using a longitudinal, mixed-methods design including interviews conducted 12–18 months post-training, the study found that while officers initially engaged in critical self-reflection and identified strategies to improve interactions with Black and racialized communities, these reflections diminished over time. After one year in the field, officers tended to downplay the training’s relevance, emphasizing operational priorities, adopting race-neutral approaches, and citing generational progress within policing. The findings suggest that anti-racism training alone is insufficient for lasting change without broader institutional reforms addressing police culture, accountability, and operational practices to effectively mitigate racial bias in law enforcement.