A new series of designs for Waterloo Regional Police cruisers that attempted to highlight the community’s diversity are being halted just days after the first design was revealed.
The service announced on Friday that it is suspending the Community Cruiser Campaign in response to concerns from the public.
“The service has listened to those concerns, apologizes to anyone who was offended, and has decided to suspend the campaign,” police said in a statement.
The first cruiser with a new design was revealed on March 30, with the service saying it captures the spirit of Canadian newcomers, as well as African, Caribbean, South Asian and Arabic cultures.
The reveal was immediately met with criticism from some, but in its statement, Waterloo police said many citizens supported the launch of the campaign, but others expressed concerns about its concept and were offended.
An online petition to cancel the cruisers has received over 4,100 signatures as of Friday.
“Painting Black, Indigenous and other racialized bodies onto police vehicles, which are tools to disproportionately arrest and incarcerate Black and Indigenous peoples, is a slap in the face to local Black, Indigenous and People of colour activists,” said petition organizer Jessica Hutchison.
Prior to the suspension, Waterloo police said three other designs were to be unveiled by the end of the year.
The service added that moving forward, its Equity, Inclusion and Diversity Unit will consult with citizens to identify ways in which the service can better reflect the region.