Third officer files human rights complaint against Halifax police force

Another officer with the Halifax Regional Police force has filed a human rights complaint of racial discrimination against the police force.

Const. Charles Bruce filed his complaint with the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission Tuesday. In the complaint, he alleges he was overlooked for promotion and transfers because he is black.

Bruces complaint is the third onebrought against the police force. Sgt. Robyn Atwell and former police officer Lewis Cain filed their complaints in December 2008.

All three complaints name Halifax Regional Police, Halifax Regional Municipality as well as several police officers.

The municipality is also facing racial discrimination complaints from several black firefighters with Halifax Fire Services. Those complaints were filed to the human rights commission in 2007.

Complaints of racism have also been made against Metro Transit but they have not come from staff members.

At a news conference held in Halifax on Tuesday, Bruce said he and other officers with the police force have faced systemic racism.

"You get people from the outside saying there's racism in the department, now you have three officers saying there is racism [inside]," Bruce told CBC News on Tuesday. "And you're naive and neglectful just as much if you fail to realize that and understand that," he said.

All three police officers were present with their lawyer, Rocky Jones, at the news conference. Jones said it is difficult for his clients to talk publicly about any particular incidents because of what he called a dangerous environment within the police force.

While none of the accusations have been proven, Jones said the complaints have merit given that Atwell and Bruce are both 16-year veterans with the police force.

First black female sergeantsufferedracism and sexism on the job

In an interview with CBC News in January, Atwell and Cain explained the incidents that led to them filing their complaints against the police force.

Atwell claimed she has experienced racism and sexism since she joined the police force in 1993. Atwell became the forces first black female sergeant when she was promoted in 2005.

In one incident, Atwell claimed a staff sergeant once pulled a jack knife on her and said there was something wrong with the ranks on her uniform. He then moved behind Atwell and tugged on her shoulder, Atwell claimed.

Atwell said the staff sergeant then smirked at another officer in the office who witnessed the incident as he closed his knife.

Atwell said she tried dealing with the incidents on her own and at one point, attempted a mediation process before she filed her complaint with the Human Rights Commission.

Cain, who joined the police force in 2006, was let go 15 months later due to what he called racial discrimination by higher ranking officers and his supervisor.

Cain claimed he was subjected to more scrutiny than his non-black colleagues during his probationary period with the force. In one particular incident, an officer made a derogatory reference to black people in front of him.

Officer wants changes and compensation for discrimination

Bruce said he is seeking changes within the force in how it treats its black police officers and compensation for him.

"We want equality for all, but yes we want and we deserve compensation for the neglect that we have received and the abuse that we have received," Bruce said.

Const. Bruce Palmeter, spokesman for the Halifax Regional Police, said the department would not comment on the officers allegations.

"Were not going to play out these complaints in the media and were certainly not going to comment on specifics publicly," Palmeter said.

Palmeter said the police force has already filed its response to the complaints with the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission.

Halifax Mayor Peter Kelly said little about the latest charges of racism within the municipalitys police and fire services.

"This is not the way in which we want to operate and we have to make sure we deal with individuals in the way in which they want to be dealt with," Kelly said Tuesday.

"It is the responsibility of us to ensure we do what we can to ensure that these events dont occur," he said.