Chatham-Kent Victim Services has announced a brand-new community reporting tool for acts of hate and discrimination in Chatham-Kent.
Located on the Chatham-Kent Victim Services website, the tool will serve as a central location for reporting incidents of hate and discrimination in our community outside of law enforcement.
“Hate has no home in Chatham-Kent, but we know that hate and discrimination are happening in our communities,” stated Jason Brown, Volunteer & Community Engagement Coordinator, CK Victim Services, in a media release.
“Ensuring that people have the support they need is essential for healing and recovery. We are proud to launch this tool to provide support to individuals. The data collected through this tool will help us continue to build a welcoming, inclusive, and diverse community and respond effectively to instances of hate and discrimination.”
As part of the Victim Crisis Assistance Ontario (VCAO) program, Chatham-Kent Victim Services is equipped to provide emotional support and referrals to appropriate community resources should those who report need support.
The reporting tool will allow high-level data on hate and discrimination to be shared with the public, enabling a better community response to hate and discrimination.
“We understand that many people do not report experiences of hate or bias directed at them simply because of who they are,” stated Rebecca Haskell-Thomas, Coordinator, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Justice, Municipality of Chatham-Kent, in a press release.
“While reporting to the police is still an option, this new reporting tool offers an alternative way to seek support. The combined and anonymous information from these reports will help us identify trends and gain a better understanding of what is happening in the community. Together, we can work towards promoting a safe and inclusive Chatham-Kent for everyone.”
Conversations began about how the community could better respond to and support people impacted by hate and discrimination in Chatham-Kent following a meeting of the Chatham-Kent Local Immigration Partnership Anti-Racism Working Group in May 2022.
“Hate has no room where love is the only occupant,” stated Stella Jonah, CK Local Immigration Partnership Anti-Racism and Anti-Discrimination working group member, in a press release.
Peter Sulman, Project Coordinator, Chatham-Kent Local Immigration Partnership, added: “The Chatham-Kent Local Immigration Partnership (CK LIP) is proud to have contributed to the development of the hate reporting tool in collaboration with Chatham-Kent Victim Services. On behalf of all CK LIP partners, we hope that this tool will foster a community where every individual feels safe, respected, and where community culture and connections thrive.”
Chatham-Kent Victim Services consulted local organizations, groups, and advocates on what they might like to see from such a tool, drawing examples from similar projects such as the Sarnia-Lambton Alliance Against Hate and the Coalition of Muslim Women (CMW) of Kitchener-Waterloo Hate and Discrimination Documentation and Reporting Service.
“As the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Coordinator for the Chatham-Kent Police Service, I believe that the launch of an online hate and discrimination reporting tool by Victim Services is a significant step towards making our communities more inclusive and safer,” stated Sgt. Lynette Hodder, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Coordinator, Chatham-Kent Police Service, in a media release.
“It will empower individuals to report incidents of hatred and intolerance, and enable us as a community to provide support and take necessary actions to address these issues.”
Incidents that might be reported include, but are not limited to, harassment, intimidation, threats, denial of services, witnessing or seeing vandalism aimed at them or the broader community because of their race, ethnic origin, language, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disabilities, or other identities.
Those who submit a report are offered the option of submitting an anonymous report or providing their contact information and indicating that they would like support from our team. Volunteer Crisis Responders, trained in trauma-informed care and principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as professional Crisis Support staff, will provide support.
Those looking to submit a report can do so at http://www.ckvictimservices.com/report-hate.
Those who may want to avoid reporting online can call our office at 519-436-6630 and leave a message indicating that they wish to make a report.
They will receive a call back within three business days.
All information provided to Chatham-Kent Victim Services is confidential unless a client consents for information to be shared with other community partners.
