I inquire if he’s anxious his odds took a hit due to mentioning his brother on his application. He adamantly shakes his head, retorting, “Integrity and honesty are core to being a cop,” he asserts with conviction.
When the Ottawa Police Service didn’t respond, he broadened his search, applying to the Toronto and Kingston Police Services. Each one led to the same outcome.
J immerses himself in work that channels his zeal for crime-fighting. He juggles two jobs: one in a youth group home, and another as a youth worker and behavioral counselor for at-risk youth. In his downtime, he maintains his mental and physical well-being through martial arts. His expertise resonates well with the Community Safety Wellbeing Model mandated by Ontario for police services, including Ottawa.
J has steered clear of any illicit activity. He chose to distance himself from his brother, focusing on supporting his distraught parents through his proactive community efforts. In a diversifying population, his fluency in Arabic could have been a boon to the police. This aligns with the Community Safety and Police Act, effective April 2024, which emphasizes that police services should reflect the diversity of the communities they serve.
The recent revelation that five Somali officers and their kin were allegedly wiretapped by the Ottawa Police Service is deeply unsettling. Some are purportedly linked to family members possibly involved in gang activities. Two officers claim they’ve had no contact with these relatives in years. Knowing they were under surveillance themselves is profoundly disturbing. Now engaged in a lawsuit, these officers, who reportedly have “exemplary” performance records, feel “marked” by these actions.
Cops are a close-knit crew; they naturally look out for one another. Performing under a cloud of stress and suspicion is undoubtedly taxing. They rely on each other for backup in dicey scenarios. Feeling the mistrust of your peers must be a substantial blow to one’s mental health.
A long-standing belief among visible minorities persists: breaking into the Ottawa Police Service is next to impossible. These Somali officers, all Canadian citizens, were invited, recruited, and encouraged to join the force, the lawsuit elaborates. Yet, being subjected to wiretaps and covert surveillance by their own department implies guilt by association. For those originally from places where surveillance is the norm, this fosters mistrust rather than confidence.
When biases infiltrate decisions, systemic discrimination isn’t far behind. I’ve written about the double standards within the OPS regarding how officers of color are perceived versus their peers when it comes to misconduct. In this scenario, it’s not the officers themselves but their (often distant) relatives who are under suspicion. Since the materials are sealed, the reasons for the wiretaps remain unknown, leaving the officers in the dark.
When I ask J why he refrains from using his real name in the article, he shrugs, “It could wreck my future prospects of becoming an officer someday.” Clearly, the dream isn’t completely dashed for young, visible minorities, but full trust is another matter.
Aisha Sherazi, an Ottawa writer, previously served on the Ottawa Police Service’s COMPAC committee with one of the Somali officers involved in the lawsuit (who was a community member at the time).
