Hate crimes, diversity focus of
presentation.
Community policing is close to OPP Staff Sgt. Mike Forster’s heart
and one of the reasons he chose to introduce the Police and Community
Together (PACT) program to Arnprior for the first time this year.
“The goal is to give people awareness of the special units we have and
to give the community the awareness of what we do outside of our day to
day activities,” Forster said.
“We don’t just go around everyday writing tickets.”
Forster’s appointment as Arnprior OPP’s new staff sergeant was
officially announced at Tuesday’s PACT meeting by Coun. Nancy Black.
The program, running 10 weeks, has had officers from 14 OPP units speak
to the community about their experiences. Officers from units including
drugs, weapons and computer crimes have made presentations.
PACT attendants were required to sign up before the program began in
September and will receive a certificate at the end of the program
recognizing their completion. About 15 people attend sessions on a
weekly basis, including Deputy-Mayor Jack Lammert, Coun. Nancy Black,
members of the general public and some from Arnprior Community Policing.
Hate crime and diversity were last week’s topics. Det. Heather Chittick
from the diversity team came from Orillia to talk about hate crime.
“The fear factor that anything hate-related puts into a community is
incredible,” she said.
“We never used to speak about hate crime outside of police officers,
but now we are in the community educating the public.”
Chittick works with the right-wing hate crime extremism unit bringing
her into frequent contact with white supremacists.
“These people can come from nice families, but kids can become so
easily involved in it now with access to the Internet,” she said.
“If you don’t educate young people how do you tell them that it’s wrong
when there is someone out there trying to lure them in?”
Chittick has come up against some resistance when trying to educate
young people on the topic. Some schools refused to let her hang an
anti-hate crime poster in their hallways because it depicted many hate
symbols, including a swastika.
One of Chittick’s biggest obstacles is making white supremacists
realize when they have committed a crime.
“Many of these people are proud to admit their beliefs and to honour
their heritage,”
she said.
“How do you change the way people think?”
In an effort to bring this problem to the forefront the OPP began
instituting hate crime liaison officers (HCLO) in detachments across
the country six years ago. There are 72 such officers in Ontario.
Arnprior’s HCLO, Craig Taylor, was named to the post this year.
Forster confirms the detachment has been in contact with the hate crime
unit regarding Alexander Winter’s case.
Winter alleges he and his same-sex partner have suffered verbal abuse
since moving into Arnprior’s historic Gillies House in 2005. He is also
in a dispute with the town about whether it is responsible to supply
water to a fire hydrant near their home. Winter has alleged the town is
refusing upkeep to the hydrant because of his sexual orientation. He
also said people have trespassed on his property despite the fence and
warning signs discouraging people from such behaviour.
“If you’ve been over there and seen the fence and signs it is very
clearly marked that they don’t want people on their property,” Forster
said.
“And as far as I’m concerned this is a property rights issue and we
have laid trespassing and mischief charges.”
Taylor said his role as HCLO has not increased since the Winter case
and confirmed the case has not been designated a hate crime by the OPP
or experts.
“This case hasn’t really changed anything for us, Forster said.
“When we get a call we go and investigate everything.”
Sgt. Brad Hollywood finished off the night with a presentation on
diversity.
“Diversity within the OPP is important…we want a mix of everything to
make us as strong as any police force in North America,” he said.
“Officers can sometime be a person’s first point of contact and we want
that to leave a positive impression.”
Diversity training is part of the OPP training program for new
officers. They also offer diversity sessions on a periodic basis to all
officers.
Hollywood presented a report prepared by the Centre for Spatial
Economics for the OPP regarding diversity in Canada.
The report showed Canada must have a 2.6 per cent birth rate to
maintain a sustainable and vibrant society and economy. Currently the
country’s birthrate hovers at 1.6 per cent.
“Immigration will occur to make up for this percentage and everyone
will be affected by this, including police,” he said.
In 2004 the OPP created the Aboriginal Relations Team (ART). Members
act as liaison officers with native people in land claim issues
involving native and non-native people. The Major Event Liaison Team
(MELT), created in 2006, help negotiate with non-natives in such cases.
“Both teams build trusting and cooperative relations with those
involved. They talk about the concerns of each group to ensure both
sides can speak in a calm fashion and avert physical confrontation,” he
said.
“It is the best way to explore mid-ground.”
Forster said PACT has been a resounding success so far.