How do we build trust between police and racialized communities? Former police chief, youth worker weigh in

The fatal shooting of 19-year-old international student Afolabi Stephen Opaso by Winnipeg police on Dec. 31, 2023, has resurfaced an ongoing and painful conversation about the relationship between racialized communities and the police and the level of trust between them.

CBC Manitoba's Weekend Morning Show wanted tohear different perspectives on this topic, and turned to two Winnipeggers for their perspective.

Dalil Lowka was born in Congo. When he wassix months old,his family fled as refugees to Uganda, where he grew up. He arrived in Canada in 2013 and moved straight to Winnipeg. For the past eight years he has worked with newcomer youth in the city, particularly boys from African communities.

Devon Clunis, who immigrated to Canada with his family from Jamaica at the age of 12, is the former chief of the Winnipeg Police Service. After retiring from the police service, he started his own consulting firm and is currently chairing a provincial steering committee on the future of public safety training.

This is their conversation.

(During this conversation, Devon Clunis cites arecent Statistics Canada study onpublic confidence in Canadian institutions. You can find that study here.)

Congolese refugee challenges former Winnipeg police chief on police violence against the Black community

9 months ago

Duration 20:07

In the aftermath of the fatal shooting of 19-year-old international student Afolabi Stephen Opaso by Winnipeg police on Dec. 31, 2023, Dalil Lowka and former police chief Devon Clunis discuss the lack of trust between police and racialized communities.