Toronto’s Black Deputy Police Chief Keith Forde,
By michelle-lee;The Afro News Ontario :
Toronto’s Black Deputy Police Chief will retire at the end of August. Keith Forde, who was born and raised in Barbados, was just 23-years old when he joined the Toronto Police Force in 1972. He recalled the loneliness of the time when he said it was often days; sometimes even weeks would go by before he saw another person of color at work. He says he was naïve but quickly realized the discrimination and that people were treated differently because of the color of their skin.
He began to challenge the system and 30 years later he became the first Black officer in the Toronto Police Services to reach the position of deputy chief. When he announced his retirement at a TPSB meeting June 29th he received praise for his efforts that helped change the force. Board chair Alok Mukherjee said, “Deputy Forde has been an outspoken advocate of equity in all forms. Essentially what he has accomplished is the transformation of the police service. It now reflects the community in a way that it has never done before.” Forde, who has two sons who are also police officers, plans to continue his work with inner city youth and his involvement in community service.
