Black leaders meet with Windsor police to discuss systemic racism, diversity

Black community leaders across Windsor-Essex joined a virtual call with Windsor police and city officials on Friday to discuss concerns about systemic racism and diversity in the community. 

Among those present were Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens, Windsor police Chief Pam Mizuno, as well as community members like Essex County Black Historical Research Society president Irene Moore Davis. 

Over the course of the roughly hour-and-a-half-long Zoom call, both Mizuno and Dilkens acknowledged the lack of diversity within the Windsor Police Service, as well as city hall, adding that the situation needs to change. 

For context, there are currently only two Black police officers above the rank of constable with Windsor police, out of a total workforce of approximately 600 people. 

"I've never applied to be a sergeant," said Const. Neil McEachrane, diversity and recruitment officer with Windsor police, during the call. "But also too there's quite a few other Black officers who haven't applied or tried to be more than a constable."

"So moving forward, it's something that we as Windsor police have to try to see now, why is that?"

Dilkens said that Windsor already has a diverse hiring plan in place, adding that the city's status as an "employer of choice" means that existing employees — some of whom have spent much of their careers working for the city — will likely need to retire before more diverse hires can be made to reflect the city's modern demographics. 

For her part, Mizuno said the police force she oversees needs to find better ways to promote diverse hiring, as well as what needs to be done in order to recruit more Black officers. 

"Today is about listening," Mizuno said. "Listening to the community, listening to the leaders that are joining us, and hearing their experiences and thoughts on how we can move forward towards change that will make Windsor a stronger and more inclusive place to live."

Though Davis described Friday's call as a "great start to the ongoing conversations that need to happen," she expressed concerns about the lack of diversity shown within the group gathered. 

She said a number of Black community leaders were able to organize on short notice to participate in the conversation, but added that the group of people gathered "was certainly not representative of the community as a whole."

Today is about listening.- Windsor police Chief Pam Mizuno

"I realize that outsiders may see us as one Black community and sometimes we are very unified, but our experiences, our languages, our faiths, our countries of origin are incredibly diverse," she said.

"I could not speak, for example, to the concerns specifically that Sudanese Canadians or Somali Canadians or others may have about their encounters with police. And it seems really necessary to invite more of those voices to the table."

In addition, Davis said future conversations should also include the voices of those groups and organizations that have been "advocating for a long time for reforms, who seem to be largely absent."