Calgary, AB,
10
June
2016
|
12:30
America/Denver

Police give digital welcome to new Canadians

People immigrating to Calgary from around the world can now get a quick introduction to the Calgary Police Service through new welcome videos that are available online.

The short videos are intended to help new Canadians better understand the role of police in Canada, how to recognize police officers and how to reach out if they need help. There are six languages represented in the videos, including Spanish, Punjabi, Arabic, Somali, Tagalog and English. If high demand for other languages arises in the future, the content can easily be adapted for those languages.

“We sometimes hear of new Canadians who have not had good interactions with the police in the country they came from or do not know what to expect from police in Canada,” says Sergeant Gareth Joels, with the Calgary Police Service Diversity Resource Unit. “Our goal is to give them a warm welcome and let them know that the police in Calgary are here to help if they run into trouble.”

The videos will be used in the over 200 You and the Law presentations that the Diversity Resource Team does every year to teach new immigrants about Canada’s legal system. They will also be available on the Calgary Police Service YouTube Channel and distributed through social media. Community groups and agencies that help settle new Canadians are also encouraged to use the videos if they wish.

Anyone wanting to share the videos with someone that is new to Canada or soon to arrive can link to them through the videos’ YouTube Playlist.

Any community organization interested in having the Calgary Police Service provide a You and the Law presentation can arrange one by calling 403-428-8158 or visiting the program webpage.