Statistics Canada released a report Monday that suggests reported hate crimes in the country have increased by one third in 2008, up 35-percent from statistics compiled in 2007. Police forces nationally recorded 1,036 hate crimes in 2008, more than half of the incidents motivated by ethnicity or race, one-quarter by religion, and 16-percent by sexual orientation. Most disturbing is that crimes motivated by the sexual orientation of the victim more than doubled and were the most violent in nature. Statistics Canada, in releasing the report, noted that “the number of hate crimes presented in the release likely undercounts the true extent of hate crime in Canada, as not all crimes are reported to police.”
Edmonton, Alberta Police Services' Danielle Campbell, the only women to ever had been made superintendent, is also the first openly gay police officer in the history of the EPS, Campbell, a veteran of 21 years saying that at the time “I was put through two additional steps in the recruiting process that most applicants wouldn’t have had to go through. They don’t do that know, fortunately. We’ve come a long way.” Campbell was honoured Sunday with the Edmonton Police Services Minorities Liaison Committee Award during the city’s annual Pride Awards, who, with humility, said she was not expecting the award and was not sure what she did to earn it. “Who would have thought you’d get an award for being gay,” Campbell said. “Quite honestly, I have no idea what they think I’ve done, other than just be who I am.” Ted Kerr, one of the award organizers, said that Campbell was honoured because “she challenges ideas about what a police officer is.” Saturday, during this year’s Gay Pride parade, Edmonton Police Services uniformed officers were given permission for the first time to march, an accomplishment that is likely in some small part due to the work of Campbell.
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