Pride Week cruiser stokes controversy
Cost and concerns about neutrality spark debate over goodwill gesture
The Ottawa Police Service is defending its decision to wrap a cruiser in rainbows amid public and officer criticism that the effort is a waste of taxpayers’ money and compromises police neutrality.
The force unveiled the cruiser at the launch of Capital Pride Week events Monday outside police headquarters on Elgin Street. Gone were the signature blue and red stripes, and in their place was a rainbow band of Pride colours.
In the days that followed, the cruiser was the subject of much conversation on social media and ignited debate within the force on whether the goodwill move was the right decision.
Andre Meunier called the cruiser a “terrible” waste and embarrassment in a tweet to Chief Charles Bordeleau.
“We’re in the business of policing,” one officer told the Citizen, who asked not to be named. “Not pandering to special interest groups.”
Staff Sgt. Dave Zackrias heads the diversity and race relations unit, which came up with the idea for and funded the cruiser.
“The sole mandate for the section is to make sure that police respond effectively, appropriately and sensitively to all members of the community but particularly those who have traditionally been marginalized by our society,” he told the Citizen.
There have been tensions between LGBTQ communities and police that have led to mistrust of law enforcement in those communities, Zackrias said.
“We’ve come a long way in bridging that gap and building that trust and relationship,” he said.
To mark the milestone of the 30th anniversary of Capital Pride, and to show the service’s commitment to the community, the unit decided to wrap the cruiser to use as the force’s float in Sunday’s Pride parade.
Zackrias thinks some of the criticism is based on assumptions and misreading of facts. He’s heard that some people believe the rainbow-decorated car was purchased specifically for Pride and that it will be a permanent addition to the fleet, neither of which are true.
The service took a brand new white car that had yet to be fitted for patrol operations and then spent $1,300 from the diversity and race relations section’s budget to add the rainbow decals.
The cruiser, as is, can’t be used for policing, although it has lights and sirens that will be used in the parade.
“It’s not fully fitted for frontline patrol officers to take it and go on calls,” Zackrias said.
Once the parade is over, the cruiser will be stripped of its colours and then go back to a lot to be fitted for entry into the police fleet.
The diversity and race relations unit’s budget includes money earmarked for promoting initiatives, or police branding. Zackrias said it made sense for him to spend a larger amount of money on the cruiser, which has generated buzz, than on small-time police-branded swag that gets handed out to people but fails to make an impression.
However, officers are split on the initiative. Some have told the Citizen the cost is a small expenditure for a great amount of goodwill, while others can’t fathom why a police service that is constantly being told to do more with less is making short-term investments in community outreach instead of spending the money on crime- solving initiatives.
Several officers from across the force expressed concern that in a climate where allegations of police bias are routinely levied against them, taking on the colours of any one group undermines the neutrality that police are supposed to have while serving and protecting a diverse society. Police cruisers are for the entire community — there shouldn’t be designated cars for any special group or event, whether it’s Pride Week, Italian Week or Ramadan, they argued.
But Zackrias said the cruiser should be viewed as a celebration and that his section engages in outreach, attends events and creates programs for most other diversity celebrations, from Black History Month to Diwali.
Capital Pride co-chair Tammy Dopson said organizers were “really pleased” that police “went that extra mile for us,” in what was a surprise to them.
“I think that the spectrum of the rainbow colours, it covers a lot of ground and it covers a lot of people,” she said of the concern that Pride colours might be exclusionary.
“I have nothing but admiration for the police department for making these efforts.”