'Now's the time to stand up': Veteran officer calls for a reckoning

George Floyd's body will be laid to rest in his hometown of Houston, Texas, on Tuesday, two weeks after he was killed while in police custody in Minneapolis, Minn.

Floyd's death has sparked protests and conversations around the world about police violence and anti-Black racism.

It also prompted Carl Cartright to speak out. Cartright is an inspector with the Ottawa Police Service. He is also Black. He spoke with Robyn Bresnahan on CBC's Ottawa Morning. Their conversation has been edited for length.

You have said it is very hard not to put yourself in George Floyd's position. You say it could have easily been you. Why do you believe that?

It's the reality. There was a time I faced similar issues in my life. So when I saw that video, which still I've been unable to finish watching, I said it could have been my cousin. That man could have been my brother. He could have been anybody. It's easy for me to see myself through his eyes.

Ottawa police Insp. Carl Cartright speaks with CBC's Adrian Harewood

4 years ago

Duration 6:05

Cartright talks about working in policing, a profession he loves, which he says, has not always been "nice" to Black men like himself.

How does that make you feel as a police officer?

That's why I didn't speak out for such a long time. There's too great a range of emotions. Initially it was anger, because as a layperson or even as a professional in policing, you see that it was uncalled for. At every level of humanity, that was uncalled for.

The demonstrations, the peaceful marches that we've just seen in Ottawa and Toronto, they will end. But the key thing is we need to keep talking.- Insp. Carl Cartright

I had to deal with those emotions first before I could start speaking. I have a responsibility to my community, and the Black community is very demanding of its police officers. Before I'm able to share my own emotions, I have to come to grips with what my emotions are. For me to express anger was not the right way to go.

Why do you think that it took this moment for you to speak out?

I don't know. I felt the pressure, I have to admit. Some friends and some colleagues said, 'Carl, we're not hearing from anybody.' But I was not in a position to share my personal feelings. Trust me, there were a lot of conversations, but those conversations were internal. But there was an opportunity over the weekend to do an article and it really was therapeutic for me. I needed to let it out. A young Black female police officer sent me an email to thank me for speaking out, and the last line of her email clearly states the mindset: She said it's not enough to be quietly non-racist. Now's the time to stand up and be actively anti-racist.

Why did you want to become a police officer in the first place?

I think about that a lot. I served in the military for a number of years. I always felt the need to be part of something bigger. Even though policing was never an institution that was kind to a young Black male such as myself, that didn't deter me. I always saw the profession as something to aspire to. I have never regretted it. There have been tough days. The last week is an example. Overall, I couldn't see any other profession in civilian life that would allow me to serve the way I wanted to. Some people say they knew from the time they were little. I didn't. It's something I grew into. Where do I want to be? What is it I want to do? And now, 26 years later, I'm still here.

Have you been subject to racism within the Ottawa police force?

I've been the subject of racism throughout my life. Racism exists in every facet of society. It exists in all our institutions. What would make one think that policing is any different? I work with a majority of great professionals. I enjoy my career. But yes, racism exists. It exists in policing.

That was the argument of former police chief Charles Bordeleau after the death of Abdirahman Abdi. I asked him about racism within police and he said the police service is no different from the rest of society. But should it be?

You're asking an extremely high task to achieve. To overcome that, the police service needs to be representative. There isn't a single police service serving a diverse population that truly represents the communities that it serves. But those conversations are hard. Nobody wants to talk about racism because it's divisive. But those conversations need to happen within the police, within the federal government, within private industry and within journalism. I've seen some of your colleagues speak out. It exists everywhere. I'm hoping that this is a catalyst. But what do we do to move on? The anger will subside. The demonstrations, the peaceful marches that we've just seen in Ottawa and Toronto, they will end. But the key thing is we need to keep talking.

What, beyond talking? What else would you like to see done?

Recruiting has always been an issue. We try very hard. I spent a number of years in recruiting. It's very difficult. It's very difficult especially today when these things are happening outside in the community. Unfortunately, this incident really brings to light anti-Black racism. We need to analyze that within ourselves because we all have biases. I have my own, but I don't have the luxury of being biased or racist based on race. A lot of people have the right not to like somebody. You have the right not to like Carl Cartright, but I'm going to end my life knowing that people will always judge me for the colour of my skin. It is unlikely that when people see me, the first thing they don't see is race.

You said you had a response from a young Black colleague who thanked you for speaking out about George Floyd's death. Did you hear from any of your white colleagues?

Oh yes, absolutely. Clearly, I have some great colleagues in the police service and some great friends. And when I do eventually leave I will miss the service and some of the relationships I've made, absolutely. But I also received some not so positive comments from individuals.

From within the police service?

Retired.

What did they say?

I respect their opinions, but truly, it's a lack of understanding. I wasn't speaking against my profession. I love my profession, but I'm a Black man whose history and experiences cannot be quieted. And for a long time we joke around as individuals of colour that we shouldn't be seen together too much, we shouldn't congregate in the hallway too much. It's always in the back of your mind how people perceive you, because society has always put that on us.