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“I hope London police service sees this as a teaching moment.”

London police have already taken one misstep by saying they’re conducting an internal investigation that will look at the context and intent behind the incident, Mojdeh Cox, an anti-racism and human rights advocate formerly of London, now working in Ottawa, said.

There’s no context or intent that can explain away the impact of painting oneself in blackface, a method of ridiculing of black people since the early 1900s, she said.

“I think the police should come out and say, this was racism,” Cox said.

London police need to explain to the public what exactly they’re doing to address the incident and racism in the force, Cox added.

“The question is, does this act of the employee reflect the values of the employer?”

Police services across Canada, including London’s, are making efforts to understand and train officers in diversity, Perry said.

If people are saying they don't know why blackface is a problem, they are either living under a rock or with white privilege Mojdeh Cox, human rights advocate

“This certainly takes them (London police) a step back. It is hard to take seriously a police service that allows people to engage in this behaviour.”

An Instagram post from Dec. 13 shows London police Const. Katrina Aarts getting painted and then posing in what appears to be some kind of traditional African wear.

The person who made the post also shows Aarts in uniform and praises her. A reply, apparently from Aarts, thanks the friend for the praise but says nothing critical about the blackface photos.

It’s not clear when the photos of the officer in blackface were taken.