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Dean Simmonds is the equity diversity officer with the Halifax Regional Police. As a kid, this was probably the last thing he ever thought he’d be doing.

“It was one of those things when I was growing up,” says Simmonds. “I didn’t see a police officer, so I didn’t think this job was for me.”

Simmonds grew up just outside of Halifax in North Preston, Canada’s oldest and largest indigenous black community. But it was a chance meeting on a basketball court with a HRP constable that would change his mind about what he was going to do with his life. Seven years ago he joined the police force. And unlike his experience as a boy growing up in North Preston, Simmonds puts a face to the job.

“I actually go around to different communities and…get out there and let young people know that this is a job for them if they want to do it,” Simmonds explains. “And they can do it.”

As HRP’s equity diversity officer, Simmonds job includes community outreach, training and recruitment. He also sits on the Chief’s Diversity Advisory Committee (CDAC), a group of citizens who provide a link to the community on issues related to diversity, and on the Diversity Action Team (DAT), an internal mechanism committed to promoting and encouraging diversity in the workplace. He also works closely with the local libraries, schools and YMCA.

HRP has had a history of mistrust and misunderstanding within the Halifax community, and its diversity initiatives are the direct result of a needs assessment conducted in 2003 on the organization’s policies and practices on anti-racism education and diversity training.  By April 2004 the position of equity diversity officer had been created to address any and all diversity-related issues—a position Simmonds has held for the past two years. He is, in many respects, an “ambassador of diversity.”

“My job is to be wherever I can possibly be and provide a service,” he explains. “I think what we’re trying to do is be part of the communities and find out how we can actually improve our recruiting to get minorities on the force.”

And it’s obviously working. As of 2006 the demographic make-up of the recruit class was 65% diverse candidates: 40% women; 25% racially visible, including aboriginal, black and Arabic. Not one to take this accomplishment lying down, Simmonds believes it only means there is more work to be done.

“My greatest challenge is to get more minorities involved in policing. It’s okay for me to go out and tell them but they have to feel it within our organization,” he says.

HRP has teamed up with the Department of Justice and introduced a training program that ensures that bias free policing is the standard among its officers and that they are providing a fair and equitable policing to everyone.  A big part of that effort is being a very real and visible presence within the community. Something Simmonds takes to heart in a big way. He strongly believes that the organization’s recruiting efforts will ultimately foster change, that it’s all part of their evolutionary process.