本文发表在 rolia.net 枫下论坛Program aims to boost numbers Chances improved with mentoring


CAL MILLAR
STAFF REPORTER

Toronto's Chinese community has developed a mentoring program to help young people land jobs in law enforcement.

Members of the Community Crime Awareness Association, a group of Chinese business people, worked with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Ontario Provincial Police and Toronto police to develop the program after hearing concerns there were not enough Chinese police officers.

Chinese officers and others assisting in the mentoring program will give people interested in a law-enforcement career the information they need to complete the recruiting process.

"The major objective is trying to help the candidate to be prepared," said businessman Joseph Tseng, who heads the program.

At a news conference yesterday, Staff Inspector Olga Cook said there are currently 74 Chinese-speaking officers and 90 civilians on the Toronto Police Service, out of about 5,000 officers and 2,000 civilians.

Visible minorities make up about 9.5 per cent of employees on the police service, Cook said.

She said the police service is actively recruiting people from various ethnic groups, and the mentoring program will better prepare applicants from the Chinese community and improve their chances of getting hired by police forces.

"We have a wide range of opportunities for applicants," Cook said. Other jobs include court officers, parking control officers, communication operators and clerical positions.

Tom Lam, the association's chair, said members of the community want the police force to better reflect residents of the Greater Toronto Area.

The mentoring program, which has been endorsed by a number of Chinese business associations, was set up to encourage people to view law enforcement as a viable career and change perceptions about policing held by older members of the Chinese community, Lam said.

A pilot project has helped four people become police officers, Tseng said. Three joined the Toronto force and the other became a member of a regional force, he said.

The association is interested in more than just increasing the number of Chinese police officers, he said; it wants to ensure qualified people are coming forward to apply for jobs.

During the pilot project, he said, it took two years to help one person improve their language abilities and obtain the interview skills required to get a job as a police officer.

"I wasn't surprised it took that long," Tseng said. "It's a learning experience."

Dr. Benson Lau, a member of the Toronto Police Services Board, said the public has often "criticized police for not attracting enough minorities." However, he said, some older people in the Chinese community believe policing is not a good career for young people.

"It is a good career for every young person to consider," Lau insisted.

"It's important we bring out young people to learn how important the police service is in bringing law and order to our society."

Staff Superintendent Dave Dicks, who has served with the Toronto police for 32 years, said it's a very rewarding career.

"It is a profession that is well-respected in the community and offers an opportunity to give back to the community."更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net