A recent global survey has ranked Canada as the third safest country in the world. It sounds great. But is our country really that safe? In 2020, Canadian police reported 2,669 hate crime incidents, and the number has increased.
‘’I was beaten badly by a group of people last year just because I was born in China and my parents are from China,’’ said Kim Cooks, who has been living in Brampton since he was two years old.
In 2021, hate crimes targeting the Chinese community were reported due to COVID. People were targeting Chinese-origin students, immigrants, and visitors just because the COVID virus is believed to have started in China and spread worldwide.
“I have dealt with more scorn [and] bad behaviour cases over the latest three years,’’ said Harry Brook, a police officer working at Peel Regional Police for the last six years.
In 2022, an Indian national student was shot and killed in downtown Toronto while heading to his home. In a police investigation, it was found that he was killed because the shooter was targeting Indian-origin people. The incident led to fear among students studying in Canada from all over the world.
‘’I have trouble going alone outside, I get dreams about the incident, and the trauma is still there,’’ said Kim Cooks.
Hate crimes impact the life of people, and the trauma remains with the victims, their families, and communities for so long.
‘’Police are there to handle the situation and chase the criminal, but awareness and community support play an important role when incidents like these happen,’’ said Harry Brook.
We must make our country the safest place if we stay strong, united, and vigilant, and if anybody notices anything suspicious, report it to the police immediately.
‘’I do not talk to strangers now; I do not go out much,’’ said Kim Cooks.
Hate crime victims face a lot of issues in their daily activities. They do not deserve this treatment in a country where they should feel safe.
‘’We are monitoring Peel region very strictly and are requesting locals to stay vigilant,’’ said Brook.
According to the police, spreading awareness about crime is essential. It can only happen when communities stay strong and come forward to help the victims and their families deal with the aftermath. showing they will not tolerate such crimes. We need to respond quickly whenever we see such crimes.
What is Journalism?