Your Voice is Important!

Public Safety - February 6, 2021

Guest Speakers: Hannan Mohamud & Cheryl Whiskeyjack

We believe no person should live with the fear of random, unprovoked verbal and physical harassment or attack on themselves or property. All Albertans have the right to feel safe and supported in their communities and treated with dignity.

We heard from Albertans that there is a need for a clear and consistent definition of hate crimes, adequate support for victims, and engagement with social services to reduce hate crimes and assist in education to prevent these crimes.

Albertans also told us they want to take a more encompassing approach to public safety. Participants suggested this should include consideration for how social determinants and mental health impact public safety, more wrap-around services, and community-centred approaches to policing.

Actions to support this include:

• Mandatory ongoing anti-racism, cultural knowledge and sensitivity education and training that is trauma-informed throughout all levels of government, with additional requirements for law enforcement officers under provincial and municipal jurisdictions that includes explicit bias training.

• Adjusting training, hiring, promotion and recruiting policies to ensure the justice system represents the population it serves.

• Create and fund cultural and diversity liaison units in communities to assist in speaking to and navigating through the justice system.

• Create and strengthen citizen oversight processes or bodies to address and investigate complaints against law enforcement, and remove barriers to individuals seeking recourse through the judicial system.

• Fund and collect disaggregated data to inform, implement and improve anti-racist policies, and reduce incidents of hate.

• Support for measures to address hate crimes and incidents including:
• public education, 
• supports for victims of hate incidents, 
• information sharing
• analysis and monitoring of social media, and,
• improving responses to hate incidents.

• Enhance the capacity of the Human Rights Commission, including the Alberta Hate Crimes Committee.

• Create and fund a Provincial Hate Crimes Unit that will work with police and law enforcement, including Crown prosecutors, to reduce hate propaganda, coordinate services, share information, and improve the specialized training they receive to fight hate crimes.

• Work with the Federal Government to strengthen hate crimes legislation.

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