Windsor Police embrace diversity

A Windsor man is preparing to change the landscape of diversification in Windsor’s police department.

Sergeant Wren Dosant was introduced by the Windsor Police Service as their new Diversity, Inclusion and Recruitment Outreach Officer during an event at Willistead Manor on Feb. 29.

“I am a pioneer. This is a big deal and I’m excited,” said Dosant. “Basically what the position holds is changing the culture of the Windsor Police Service, internally and externally.”

Internally the goal is to let other officers know they have to respect other people’s cultures.

“We do a good job of that,” said Dosant. “We don’t field a whole lot of complaints but we can be better and we will be better.”

The external changes are about building on already-developed relationships in the community while letting people know the Windsor Police want to invite them to the table to help run this initiative.

“Personally, after 26 years of being around policing, I’ve had ideas on how we can strengthen our cultural roots in the community,” said Dosant. “To see this initiative is being driven from the top down from the chief and the senior leadership team, I’m very excited.”

A four-year human rights study by the Windsor police which began in 2011 addressed what the department was doing right and what they could improve on regarding cultural diversity. One of those things was naming a cultural diversity officer.

“A lot of the job I was already doing. Reaching out to community groups and doing outreach in the public,” said Dosant.

The announcement of Dosant’s position came on the last day of Black History Month.

“I’ve got some novel ideas and outside the box thinking. I like to make relationships in different ways. My policing style was different and it’s the same different style I’m going to bring to this position and that’s to kind of shock you to think, ‘Wow, you’re going to do that? But when you think about it and you peel away the layers you say to yourself that’s not a bad idea’.”

Dosant looks forward to working with the Multicultural Council of Windsor and Essex County who extended an invitation for the Windsor police to attend the Carousel of Nations kick-off in June.

“What better place to meet the public where we can bring in different areas of the police service and do little 20 minute presentations of the K-9 unit, emergency disposal unit and the E.S.U. team, which is the tactical team,” said Dosant. “Under beautiful weather down by the river where it’s non-confrontational, families are there and it’s a built-in audience for us.”

The MCC and Windsor police have had a long-standing relationship working together from a diversity and educational perspective.

“It’s such a very positive step,” said the Manager for Community Engagement and Training of the MCC, Camila Alves. “It’s forward thinking. Windsor is taking a leadership role in that area. The Windsor police have always been a great partner and Sgt. Dosant has been working with us very closely from a personal commitment and has shown great leadership throughout his career.”

Dosant is reaching out to everybody in the community and wants this initiative to be run by the culturally diverse groups that are in Windsor.

“I’m inviting you to the table. You’re running this initiative. I’m just another partner at the table,” said Dosant. “If the police try to lead this thing, it won’t work. It won’t be as successful as if the community is driving this. They know they’ve got a stake in this.”

Dosant hopes the end result of his tenure will develop a strong trust factor between police and the community through public interaction.