Ont. provincial police no longer releasing gender of people charged with crimes

Ontario Provincial Police say they are no longer releasing the gender of people who are charged with crimes.

OPP spokesperson Sgt. Carolle Dionne says that during a recent review of legislation, the force found the Police Services Act does not require that information to be made public.

Dionne says the force proactively decided to stop releasing gender information in light of a broader societal shift on the issue, noting drivers’ licences and other identification documents are no longer required to list gender. 

She says data on gender will still be collected for analytical purposes, however, and other personal information — such as name, age and hometown — must be made public.

Dionne says provincial police are being trained on the revised policy, which took effect in May, and some slip-ups might occur during the transition.

The sergeant says she is not aware of any complaints to the OPP over the release of gender information. 

The Canadian Press