Ajax councillor alleges suspended Durham deputy police chief used N-word during meeting

The Deputy Mayor for Ajax claims that a Deputy Chief with the Durham Regional Police Service said the N-word during a meeting of the Afro-Caribbean Canadian Internal Support Network. The officer was suspended with pay and is currently under investigation.

In a statement released Thursday night, Durham police said the Deputy Chief allegedly used a racially inappropriate term during the meeting, which was attended by both sworn and civilian members of the force.

Deputy Mayor Sterling Lee said in a letter posted to X that the term used was the N-word.

“Let’s be precise, because precision matters here,” he wrote. “This was not a generalized act of racial insensitivity. This was anti-Black racism.”

“That word carries the full weight of centuries of slavery, segregation, and racial violence against Black people specifically,” he continued.

In the letter, Lee goes on to suggest the use of the term was deliberate and the Deputy Chief did not immediately apologize after saying it.

“He causally weaponized it as a superior, from a position of power, in a room full of Black subordinates who had no safe recourse in that moment,” he wrote.

The Deputy Chief of the @drps_official used a racial slur during a meeting with Black officers. No matter what justification was used, it was inappropriate and unacceptable that ANY public servant use language meant to demean and dehumanize our Black community.#EnoughisEnough pic.twitter.com/6J2umsLGtB

— Sterling Lee (@yourvoice4ajax) February 27, 2026

Police Chief Peter Moreira said while the language used was not directed at anyone, it was offensive and inconsistent with the force’s values.

“We recognize the impact words can have, regardless of intent. DRPS remains firmly committed to fostering a respectful, inclusive environment where all members feel valued, safe, and supported,” Moreira said in a statement.

The name of the Deputy Chief in question has not been released. The Durham police website lists Chris Kirkpatrick and Kim Yeandle as Deputy Chiefs in its organizational chart.

Lee tells CityNews the officer in question is Kirkpatrick.

The police service board, which is responsible for the discipline of Command officers, says the matter will be investigated by a third party with “the firm objective of ensuring accountability and demonstrating the Board’s unwavering commitment to the importance of equity, diversity and inclusion.”

Lee ended the letter by calling out the lack of racialized representation in the DRPS, the police board and the police association.

“How many incidents before we stop calling this an anomaly and start calling it what it is: anti-Black racism, operating without consequence, inside a publicly funded institution? Enough is enough. it’s time for a change,” he concluded.