Ottawa police say they are investigating after a man allegedly yelled slurs at a Muslim woman on Tuesday morning.
According to a social-media post by the Ottawa Police Service on Wednesday afternoon, a community incident report (CIR) said the incident happened at a gas station on Carling Avenue.
The
OPS hate and bias crime unit
was investigating the incident, the post added.
“The Ottawa Police take these matters seriously. Support services are available, and the Diversity and Resource Relations Unit is in contact with the community,” it said.
Anyone with information about Tuesday’s incident was asked to call the Ottawa Police Service at 613-236-1222 ext. 5015.
This was the first CIR that police had received since launching the initiative.
According to the OPS website,
the CIR is a tool to “keep residents informed about incidents that may affect their communities, with a focus on
hate-motivated activity
.”
Police said the tool aimed to encourage open communication between Ottawans and the OPS as well as to build trust within communities.
Charges will also be laid when applicable, the OPS website said.
“The nature of
hate-motivated incidents
is continually evolving. Our goal is to be transparent and proactive. That includes raising awareness of our approach to hate-motivated incidents,” Sgt.
Chabine Tucker said in a news release on Wednesday.
“The OPS has taken steps to improve our response to these incidents. We want communities to know that we investigate these incidents thoroughly and that support is available. It’s important for residents to feel safe and informed.”
