Another Example Of Police Being Social Workers With Guns

Cops of colour 'work like magic'
By AJIT JAIN

Violence against women is not a cultural thing -- it's a man thing, says Toronto Police Supt. Sam Fernandes.

It's present among South Asians but other communities are not immune from it, the 59-year-old veteran cop says.

Often people don't speak out because of their cultural upbringing, he says, so when a complaint comes from a South Asian, the force tries to send an officer from that community.

"It works like magic because you've got an officer who can communicate and understand what's going on." Fernandes says.

Speaking in the victim's language "the officer establishes that trust to understand what's going on."

Now with the force for 36 years, Fernandes in 1989 was the first person of colour to be named an inspector.

His family is originally from Goa in India, but he was born in Tanzania and educated in Calcutta and Scotland, graduating as an aeronautical engineer.

He worked briefly at the Toronto Island airport before joining the Toronto force.

"I was asked to pull together a team to recruit people from various communities to consider policing as a career," he says.

"We want more and more people from diverse backgrounds to come on board to serve their respective communities," Fernandes says.

He's encouraged that there are now 150 South Asian officers on the job, but admits that's not many on a police force of 5,500.

"The biggest barrier in recruiting young people is their families," he says.

"Many of these immigrant families still believe policing is dangerous, they still tell their children policing is not for you."

Fernandes is currently superintendent in charge of 911. "I love it because it has all to do with technology. Front-line officers can do their job using technology," he says.

But he still believes in face-to-face communication

"I do lot of mentoring. I address lot of seminars. And I join the recruiting unit to motivate parents, families," Fernandes says.

When interviewed last week, he was on his way to the airport to fly to Havana -- "just vacations and I love that."

His love of travel made him decide not to go for further promotion and the long work days that would follow.

"I am happy with where I am and what I am doing, serving the communities."