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Cst. Shaun Carvery was appointed HRP's Equity Diversity Officer on January 14, 2013. Cst. Carvery has been a police officer for 11 years, working first on patrol and more recently as a school officer. He hopes the role will enable him to serve as a liaison between HRM’s diverse communities and the police service.
“After working in schools, I came to realize that there’s much diversity in HRM and those diverse communities have a completely different set of beliefs and opinions about the police and what it is we actually do,” he says. “I acknowledge there are some communities’ customs and beliefs that I and my fellow officers may not be aware of which, if we were aware, would allow us to perform our duties better to serve our diverse communities.”
Cst. Carvery also wants to give diverse communities a voice. “I recognize there are still marginalized communities within HRM that don’t have a voice when it comes to dealing with police. During my tenure as diversity officer, I hope to bring a voice to those who have felt they don’t have anyone to talk with then relating to police issues and bring that information back to police officers so we’re providing the best service possible to the communities we serve.”
Cst. Carvery will be a visible presence at various events within different communities and keep his fellow employees informed about what’s going on in the community.
The Equity Diversity Officer position was established in April 2004 as a dedicated position to address diversity related issues. Reporting to the Chief of Police, this position ensures a co-ordinated response to diversity concerns, which includes, but is not limited to, community outreach, training and recruitment. The Equity Diversity Officer works with other units within the Department as well as with the community to address diversity issues, thereby incorporating both internal and external responsibilities and providing a consistent contact point.
As a part of the diversity mandate, the Equity Diversity Officer is actively involved the HRP Diversity Action Team, an internal mechanism within the Department, committed to promoting and encouraging diversity in the workplace.
To speak with Cst. Carvery
Cst. Carvery encourages people to call him with ideas around diversity and how we can work more closely with our diverse communities. He can be reached at 430-4782 or carvers@halifax.ca.
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