Friday August 28, 2020
A file image of a Waterloo Regional Police car.
KITCHENER -- Waterloo regional police Chief Bryan Larkin and other senior members of the police met with the local Somali community on Thursday night.
The meeting was hosted by the Somali Canadian Association of Waterloo and gave members a chance to press police about the arrest of a Somali-Canadian man who was arrested in late July.
The arrest was caught on video and showed a man being pulled from a vehicle and punched by an officer.In an emailed statement to CTV News Kitchener, Waterloo regional police said the arrest is part of an ongoing investigation with Peel regional police.
"We are subject to their timelines and at this time have no indication when it will be complete," the statement said in part.
Thursday's meeting allowed members of the community to ask police tough questions and begin to repair the shaken trust in police. Moderators and audience members grilled Larkin and the force on issues of officer training and the availability of interpreters. They also asked if police are tracking the concerns brought forward by the community.
Police said they've implemented a new system to track their efforts in equality and diversity and will be able to report the results back to the public.