VICTORIA -- The Victoria and Esquimalt Police Board passed several motions at its meeting Tuesday night to address racism and discrimination.
The motions were brought forward by Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps after the police killing of George Floyd in the U.S. triggered anti-racism demonstrations around the world.
PHOTO GALLERY: Scenes from Victoria's anti-racism demonstration
The motions are intended to help the Victoria Police Department ensure all members of the community feel safe at all times.
The first of the four motions requires the Greater Victoria Police Diversity Advisory Committee to present ideas and recommendations for improvements to the board on a quarterly basis.
The second motion will see the police chief present to the board a list of cultural sensitivity and de-escalation training that officers currently receive. The chief will also include his recommendations for additional training.
A demographic analysis of the department is part of the third motion. The analysis is meant to understand the racial and gender makeup of the department in relation to the general population. The findings will then be used in recruiting.
Lastly, the chief will make any other general recommendations to the board to deal with racism and discrimination in the police force.
The board says it will keep the public up to date on its progress.
