Kingston Police rolling out diversity initiatives

Kingston Police are rolling out new diversity initiatives following an extensive report last year that exposed a need for more equity among some of the city’s under-served residents.

The report, released in July of last year, outlines all the avenues for Kingston Police to expand and improve on equity, diversity and inclusion efforts in the community.

Acting Police Chief Scott Fraser said that one of the most notable differences Kingstonians will be able to see is in the faces of its officers.

“Recruiting. Recruiting from a more diverse community. Obviously, that’s what we need to do. We need to ensure that our staff is representative of our community,” said Fraser.

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The report, done by Kingston Speaks Inclusion, said that discriminatory incidents near the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic prompted many organizations at various levels to look within at their own diversity efforts.

Acting Chief Fraser said that a key part of their strategic plan moving forward will be the role of the equity, diversity and inclusion officer, which he says will not be just a desk job.

“It’s going to be out there working with our groups, all at the direction of our board with our strategic plan. So, obviously, helping with recruiting, helping with unhoused, helping with mental health issues, helping with cultural diversity and drawing attention to it in our organization,” said Fraser.

The study involved consultation with over 500 community members in a variety of formats including face to face and surveys.

While many people indicated that they feel safe when interacting with Kingston Police, a number of survey respondents said that they do not feel the Kingston police treat people fairly, no matter their background.

Fraser said they hope to make policing more accessible, and to build more trust in the community with these efforts in the near future.

The ability to see an officer in a uniform, and as somebody who came from their community outside of Canada or, certainly, outside of Kingston, they really can relate to that.