There has been tension in our community and communities across this continent when it comes to policing. Regardless of your position on these issues, everyone has the right to go to work and be safe.
On Saturday, I received a text from a friend sharing a post about Victoria Police Chief Del Manak being assaulted at the legislature. My friend texted because she knows I am on the Victoria-Esquimalt Police Board.
Manak was at the legislature as part of an event honouring Chantel Moore, a 颅Vancouver Island Indigenous woman killed during a police wellness check in New 颅Brunswick last year.
Manak was invited to the event and 颅blanketed by her family. In Indigenous culture, blanketing someone is done out of respect and honour. Later at the event, he was assaulted. Moore鈥檚 family publicly stated the attacker was not a part of their event.
鈥淲hat happened to me was a symbolic attack on the profession of police, I recognize that, I am not happy about it, but I wasn鈥檛 hurt,鈥� said Manak. 鈥淚 want to put the focus where it should have stayed 鈥� on the memorial for Chantel Moore and the 颅healing that needs to happen between police and Indigenous communities. I鈥檇 also like us to focus on the men and women of VicPD doing the work in the field with boots on the ground.鈥�
Manak is referencing a string of attacks against officers in recent weeks. These 颅incidents include two officers being sent to hospital after being assaulted during an apprehension, an officer violently attacked in Banfield Park, a patrol officer being 颅bitten during an arrest, officers being 颅headbutted and spat on, and an off-duty officer being attacked while volunteering.
I recently read the book How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi, which 颅mentions that whenever someone 颅generalizes about a specific race, it鈥檚 a 颅racist act. It鈥檚 dangerous to generalize when speaking about anyone, whether it鈥檚 about their age, race, gender, sexual orientation, religion or occupation. When we generalize about groups of people, it is a blatant act of bias.
As a member of the police board, I assist in providing civilian oversight, which is is not something I take lightly. Police boards set municipal policing in sa国际传媒 apart from that in the U.S.
鈥淲hat we are seeing on our streets is unprecedented,鈥� Manak said. 鈥淭he 颅officers鈥� morale is impacted, they are watching their colleagues get injured. At the rates and 颅frequencies that we are seeing, it鈥檚 raising serious concerns at the police department.鈥�
There are many complexities to this multi-faceted issue 鈥� many more than I聽have space to include in this column. The issue I want to focus on is the fact that these acts against officers and members of the public are unacceptable.
Working together makes all of us stronger. Chantel Moore鈥檚 family has been working with Manak to regain their own trust in policing. It takes strength on their part and a willingness on Manak and the VicPD鈥檚 part.
We do not always have to agree on everything to be willing to work together, but we can agree that everyone has a right to be safe regardless of their age, race, gender, sexual orientation, religion or occupation.
