Kingston Ontario is a fairly average place, a border city with a first class university and nine penal institutions. It was Canada’s first capital.

The city has a population of about 55 thousand, and adding in the township growth, the police service about 112 thousand.

Yesterday the first study on racial profiling by police was released. City police were required to fill in cards detailing the age sex and race of people they stopped over a one year period.

The results aren’t surprising. Male blacks and aboriginals were stopped slightly more than whites or Asians.

Kingston’s police chief apologized to the city’s black community Thursday after a controversial study found officers are more likely to stop black people than whites.

“Especially to the black community and the aboriginal community where there’s disparities, we apologize. I apologize. I’m not asking any police officer to apologize in this room,” Chief William Closs said after the findings of the study were released to the Kingston Police Services Board.

“My police officers have the right to leave this room and walk tall with pride. What we’re doing wrong if we’re doing anything wrong is systemic and that’s my problem. So I apologize to the black community, the aboriginal community and we’ll do better.”

Given regional differences across Canada, it will be interesting and helpful if other policing agencies undertook similar studies. I think the problem is understandably systemic and can be addressed.