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| Balpreet Singh, WSO Legal Counsel, with Toronto Police Officials |
TORONTO, CANADA - The World Sikh Organization of Canada (WSO) has worked with the Toronto Police Service and the Toronto Police College to develop a training module on the Sikh faith for the officers of Canada’s largest municipal police force. The Greater Toronto Area has one of the largest Sikh populations in Canada.
The interactive module which will be delivered to Toronto Police officers covers issues such as background on the Sikh faith, Sikh articles of faith as well as issues of note when interacting with the Sikh community or visiting Gurdwaras. The module includes a quiz on the Sikh faith which officers will be required to complete with a pass mark of 80 per cent or more.
The module will also be made available to other police forces through the Canadian Police College.
The Toronto Police recognized WSO’s contribution by presenting WSO legal counsel Balpreet Singh with a plaque on behalf of the Toronto Police College. In a letter to WSO, Toronto Police College Unit Commander, Superintendent Debra Preston said, “a number of the values held by Khalsa Sikhs such as respect, mirror the core values of the [Toronto Police] Service…Thank you once again for all your contribution. Our front line officers will now have an enhanced awareness and knowledge of articles that hold religious significance to the Sikh community.”
WSO Ontario Vice President Ranjit Singh Dulay said, “it’s an honour to work with the Toronto Police Force to develop this training module. Because of the size of the Sikh community in the Toronto area, it’s essential that law enforcement be aware of the significance of Sikh articles of faith and the protocol of visiting a Gurdwara. This module will go a long ways to providing that information.”
A large part of WSO’s mandate of advocating on behalf of the Canadian Sikh community is providing education and raising awareness about the Sikh faith in major institutions like the Toronto Police Force. WSO has in the past also provided seminars and training to employers and various government bodies. WSO would like to thank the Toronto Police Force and Superintendent Preston for the opportunity to help develop the Sikhism training module and special thanks are due to Sgt. Gorpal Singh Sidhu for his support and assistance in the process.
The World Sikh Organization of Canada (WSO) is a non-profit organization with a mandate to promote and protect the interests of Canadian Sikhs as well as to promote and advocate for the protection of human rights for all individuals, irrespective of race, religion, gender, ethnicity, and social and economic status.
For more information, please contact: Balpreet Singh, Legal Counsel (WSO)