Alberta appoints two community liaisons to tackle hate crime

The provincial government has appointed two new hate crimes community liaisons on two-year terms who will help connect groups affected by hate crimes and protect vulnerable Albertans.

The two appointees are Cecilia Mzvondiwa and Landon Turlock, who will work alongside cultural communities most targeted by hate and bias-motivated crimes.

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“Hate crimes are a challenging reality in Alberta communities,” said Mzvondiwa. “To combat hate and create safe communities, we need to work together. I look forward to engaging our communities and stakeholders to create a safe environment where every Albertan can have a sense of security and belonging.”

Together they will work to recommend to the government how to develop and implement a detailed strategy to prevent these crimes from happening in the first place and best support victims, according to the government.

“I am pleased to see the appointment of Alberta’s first hate crimes liaisons. The two liaisons will be important resources in assisting government with outreach into our diverse cultural communities to help deal with hate crimes and racism,” said Muhammad Yaseen, Associate Minister of Immigration and Multiculturalism

The province says liaisons are just one tactic to combat hate crimes in Alberta. Another is the Alberta Security Infrastructure Program, which provides grant funding to religious places of worship to bolster their site safety and protection measures.

The Hate Crimes Coordination Unit was also created to work with local authorities across the province to reduce hate-driven occurrences.