The Safety Village has announced a new project aimed to reduce hate-motivated crimes in the region.
The 'No Place for Hate - A Neighbourhood Watch Initiative' has launched and is a provincially funded initiative.
This project aims to be proactive to address hate-motivated crimes and support residents who may be vulnerable to such acts.
The need for this project stems from the alarming rise in hate-motivated crimes. As Windsor continues to grow, and a substantial number of newcomers make their way to Canada, the city is particularly vulnerable to being targeted by these crimes.
This project will ultimately work towards prevention of hate crimes through public education, and group spaces will also be provided to support those directly impacted.
Project coordinator Avery Piazza says education is very important to stopping these crimes.
"So really looking towards recognizing the differences between what hate crimes are, what hate-motivated incidents are, and what hate speech is. And additionally to how hate crimes, or cyber-hate looks online. After this, the other key purpose of this mission is to increase the overall importance on reporting hate crimes."
She says these actions won't disappear overnight.
"We need to be able to keep talking about it transparently. When any feelings of uncomfortableness come up revolving this topic, it's important to sit in that feeling, and figure out how we can meaningfully work through it, rather than brush an issue under the rug, or just put a band-aid over a bullet wound."
Piazza says this project will collaborate with other community organizations that provide assistance to newcomers.
"We do believe it's important to help newcomers when they arrive to Canada, just recognize the services that we offer. And recognize that Windsor Police does care about these hate crimes taking place, and are taking active steps to help combat and reduce them."
Hate crimes can be based on a variety of factors race, ethnicity, religion, language, sex, age, mental or physical disability, and sexual orientation.
This project is being funded through the 2024-2026 Safer and Vital Communities Grant.
-with files from AM800's The Shift with Patty Handysides