I would go back to my beginning in the hate crime unit in 1993. Certainly there are a number of communities that feel impacted by legislation and certain enforcement initiatives and certain legislation like this.
Certainly, right now, as the threat comes from the concern with Islamic extremists or those of the Muslim faith, the efforts in fact to move closer to them, not only by the Toronto Police, but as I said earlier.... I won't go far into the RCMP, but I am very familiar, on a day-to-day basis, with the outreach program in Toronto, in Ontario actually with the “O” Division national security enforcement team. In fact, we have worked very closely with them on a number of outreach initiatives we've done specifically with the Muslim community in both their private schools and their mosques.
Even last Saturday in Toronto, in the Trethewey Drive and Black Creek Drive area, there were some 200 members of the Muslim community who came out with what was a joint outreach program with the RCMP national security, with the local Toronto Police, and with CBSA, the Canada Border Services Agency.
I think the important part is the outreach, so that they better understand who we are, as people, and what we're doing, and how this law is not specific to them but to the issue. It is through outreach and that communication.
Within the Toronto Police we have a number of outreach initiatives with the Muslim community and other affected communities, not only in the national security realm. The chief has consultative committees. In fact, there is the Muslim consultative committee, which I have addressed a number of times over the years, particularly on hate crime and hate-related issues.