Winnipeg police chief calls for community support, protection

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This article was published 09/06/2021 (1332 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WINNIPEG’S police chief is asking citizens to contact law enforcement if they believe an incident of racial hate and intolerance is about to occur.

In the wake of the Sunday hit-and-run deaths of four members of a Muslim family in London, Ont. — what that city’s police say was a hate-motivated attack — Chief Danny Smyth issued a statement Tuesday calling them “victims of hate and intolerance.”

“Once again, we stand with the Islamic community, and lend our voice, our support, and our strength because they are part of our community, our city, and our country,” the Winnipeg Police Service chief said.

“As a community, it is important that if you see something unusual, say something, so that this information can get to the right people to do something to intervene,” he said.

“We have done this before and we must do it again. As a police officer, and the head of the police service, I do this because it is my duty but, more importantly, I do this as a friend, and friends support and protect one another.”

Smyth said he loves the diversity of Winnipeg, noting: “We share more in common than our differences would suggest.”

“We all want to live peacefully. We all want prosperity for our families. We all want our children to have opportunities to grow and thrive,” he said. “Irrespective of your beliefs, no one wants to be treated differently because of their customs, their culture, ethnicity, or their faith.”