Committee Members Agenda & Minutes Contact Us
MANDATE OF COMMITTEE
To collaborate with the Chief of Police to provide guidance and insight on ways of improving and strengthening relationships between the Woodstock Police Service and Indigenous and racialized communities in the City of Woodstock.
Provide guidance to the Chief of Police on embedding strategies and processes within the Woodstock Police Service to combat racism, engage in actions to eliminate it and foster a culture that seeks to understand the unique identities of all races and cultures within the community.
ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES
- Enhance, enrich, and when required establish positive connections between the office of the Chief of Police and the multiracial/multicultural communities within the City of Woodstock; Provide counsel to the office of the Chief of Police on matters related to multiracial/multicultural communities within the City of Woodstock;
- Assist in the assessment of the implementation of the employment equity plan and development of strategies to promote equitable multiracial/multicultural representation throughout the various positions within the Woodstock Police Service;
- Assist in the assessment and development of the promotional processes to ensure fair opportunity for all Woodstock Police Service members to pursue personal career goals;
- Assist in the assessment of operational policies to ensure inclusivity is evident;
- Promote events that will support the purpose of the Race Relations Committee
- Continue efforts to promote inclusivity and build healthy relationships with students and new comers new to our community.
TERM
Positions on the committee will be in effect for a minimum of one year to a maximum of three years.
MEMBERSHIP
Membership shall have a balanced representation of members of diverse racial groups from with the community and two senior members of the Woodstock Police Service.
FREQUENCY OF MEETINGS
Every 4-8 weeks; or at the call of the co-chairs
CO-CHAIRS
The Committee will be co-chaired by a member of the Woodstock Police Service and one other community member.
Co-chairs agree to:
- Ensure that the activities of the committee align with the mandate established by the committee
- Facilitate discussion in a way that ensures all members have the opportunity to participate
- Address opportunities for collaboration in each meeting
- Prepare and circulate agendas and materials in advance of scheduled meeting
- Chair all meetings
- Ensure meeting minutes are distributed to the committee membership within 2 weeks of the meeting
A secondary co-chair will be identified from the community and Police Service who will act as co-chair in the absence of the primary co-chair.
Co-Chairs will serve a maximum term of one year. At the conclusion of the one-year term, the secondary chair will move to the primary chair and a new secondary chair will be chosen.
MEMBER ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES
- Engage and communicate with one another with the underlying assumption that each member has good intentions towards the community as a whole
- Attend meetings regularly and send regrets for non-attendance to the co-chairs in advance of the meeting
- Participate in the meeting as an equal; communicate respectfully; be open to the viewpoints of others
- Protect and honour confidentiality
- In the event that a member is no longer able to fulfill his/her commitment, the member will seek replacement from within the community that they represent.
MEDIA
- Any media releases will be agreed content as approved by the Co-Chairs
- Any comments made to the media on behalf of the committee will be made by one or both of the co-chairs, the content of which shall be agreed upon by both of the co-chairs.
DELIVERABLES/OUTPUTS
- To assist and guide the development of a Diversity Plan for the Woodstock Police Service.
- To guide and facilitate anti-racism and bias-awareness training to be delivered to Woodstock Police Service members.
- Additional items to be identified as the committee evolves.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
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Jessica Hofstetter - Primary Co-Chair
Jessica was born and raised in Woodstock Ontario. Attending high school at CASS and WCI, later studying photography through Conestoga College. Jessica now owns two businesses in Woodstock and is a mother to two boys. In Jessica's words "We have such an amazing community. There is so much support in our small town. I see it everyday. I know we can continue to make our town a safe and happy place for everyone"
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Hannah Hodder - Secondary Co-Chair
Hello! My name is Hannah and I am currently a third-year student at Brescia University College, studying Criminal Justice.
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Jaspreet Sandhu
Jaspreet has been a resident of Woodstock since 2017. She moved from Brampton, where there is a large South Asian community. She believes in equality and acceptance of all races and cultures.
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Jag Rai
Jag Rai is an Educator and a devoted coach for the last 20 years. Jag graduated from the University of Windsor with a BA and a BEd. He was a member of the Varsity Track and Cross Country teams. Born and raised in Woodstock as a Punjabi-Sikh, Jag understands the challenges of being a minority. He has experienced and seen both positive and negative acceptance of different cultures. These experiences contributed to his decision to volunteer with community activities. Jag wants to see inclusiveness in the city. He volunteers his time to the Recreational Advisory Committee and helping athletes of all ages from a variety of backgrounds achieve their goals.
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Mohamed Ismail
Mohamed is currently serving as Vice President of the Muslim Association of Woodstock (Charity) originally from the UK.
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Daryl Longworth - Primary Co-Chair
Daryl Longworth was born and raised in the Woodstock area where he continues to live and raise his family. Daryl started his policing career in 1992 with the Halton Regional Police Service before returning to the Woodstock Police Service (WPS) in 1995. He has served in a number of positions, including as Deputy Chief at WPS from 2009-2015. In 2015, Daryl accepted a position as a Deputy Chief with the London Police Service. In September, 2019, Daryl returned to WPS as Chief of Police.
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Marci Shelton - Secondary Co-Chair
Inspector Marci Shelton grew up in the Oxford County area and has been with the Woodstock Police Service for 27 years. Marci spent most of her career working front line patrol and supervision and Criminal Investigations. In her role as Inspector, she oversees the support service divisions within the service. She has always held a passion for Sexual and Child Abuse investigation, Incident Command, Media Relations and Community engagement.
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AGENDA & MINUTES
June 16, 2020 | July 22, 2020 | November 10, 2020 | |
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