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September 12, 2003
Ritter to advise top cop
CJC official does double-duty with new committee.
PAT JOHNSON SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH BULLETIN
Romy Ritter has been selected to represent the Jewish community
on a committee that advises Vancouver's police chief.
Ritter's two-year term as a committee member began Sept. 9 and comes
at about the same time Ritter marks three years on staff with Canadian
Jewish Congress, Pacific Region, as director of community relations.
The Chief Constable's diversity advisory committee has a mandate
to consult and advise the chief of police, to "represent the
diverse viewpoints of the citizens of Vancouver" with an aim
of "building positive relations with our diverse community"
and "to ensure all persons are treated with respect and equality
through dealing with issues on prejudice, discrimination or harassment
directed towards any person or group," among other objectives.
Ritter was selected as one of four new committee members and was
chosen from about 40 applicants. She brings several years of unique
preparation to her new role, including a master's degree in criminal
justice from Boston University. As part of her program at the Massachusetts
university, Ritter completed a thesis on the subject of youth involvement
in hate groups and also did a four-month internship with the Boston
police department's Community Disorder Unit, which Ritter says was
the first pilot project for hate crime teams all over the United
States.
"It is the model that is used across the country," she
said.
In her role at Congress, Ritter has been immersed in related issues.
Funding cuts have limited the operation of British Columbia's Hate
Crimes Team, and Ritter, as well as her colleagues at Congress,
have lobbied vigorously for the province to fund a designated officer
to deal with hate-related crimes in Vancouver. In the meantime,
Ritter herself has taken on some of the responsibility that traditionally
was the role of the Hate Crimes Team. Ritter compiles statistics
and case files on incidents and complaints relating to alleged anti-Semitic
acts in the province and also does extensive outreach in rural and
interior British Columbia regarding diversity.
In case of an anti-Semitic incident, Ritter said, the procedure
should be to call the police, the Hate Crimes Team and Canadian
Jewish Congress.
Though Congress has been strongly pressuring for a reinvigorated
Hate Crimes Team, Ritter cautioned that policing is not the first
line of defence in the fight against hate.
"We've been continuously advocating for the Hate Crimes Team,
but it goes beyond enforcement," said Ritter. With the assistance
and support of the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre, Ritter
has toured the province over the past three years educating high
school students and others about the consequences of hate-motivated
crimes and the need for social diversity.
"We have undertaken numerous anti-racism education outreach
programs," she said. In addition to educating people about
the Holocaust and anti-Semitism, these programs also integrate related
issues of tolerance and ethnic experience into their talks. For
example, liaisons with the First Nations communities – an area
of growing co-operation and attention for Ritter and for CJC at
large – consider the similarities between the two cultural
communities and integrate discussions of residential schools with
the discussion of genocide and bigotry.
Ritter said she is honored to have been chosen for this integral
role and looks forward to getting to work. Her role, as she sees
it, is to transmit to the police chief, Jamie Graham, the concerns
and sensibilities of the Jewish community in the city.
Though the Vancouver police have been experiencing a period of change
which has not come without controversy and difficulty, Ritter said
relations with the Jewish community remain constant and strong.
"The Vancouver police department has been nothing less than
supportive," she said, singling out Sgt. Mark Graf, the department's
primary liaison to the Jewish community, as particularly responsive
and effective.
Ritter's two-year appointment comes with the option of renewal for
an additional two-year term.
Pat Johnson is a native Vancouverite, a journalist and
commentator.
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