It may be hard to believe, but just over 10 years ago, many in policing still referred to diversity issues under the rather archaic term of Race Relations Training. What’s worse, most officers still regarded being scheduled for such training as a trip to the woodshed. It usually meant something in the police service’s fragile community relations had blown up in the media, and everyone was about to be punished yet again for their insensitivity.

In 2003, our first cohort of what would go on to become the ISIS Program returned from New Zealand with a new terminology that heralded a renewed, more positive and system wide approach to an inescapable reality. Canada has been an increasingly multi-cultural country for decades, and new and lasting competencies for police officers and their leaders were way overdue.

Their research findings triggered a series of Executive Forum sessions across the country, presented by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police. Events were held in PEI, Ontario and BC, built upon a common program that I was asked to design and moderate.

In turn, these events provided the subject matter for a national article, featured as the cover story in the Fall 2004 issue of Canadian Police Chief Magazine.The full article can be read here.