April 4, 2018
For Immediate Release
CALGARY – Eight Canadian professionals in the fields of law enforcement, municipal government, violence prevention, and community organization will visit Washington, D.C., Las Vegas, Nevada, and San Bernardino, California, on a 10-day program on countering violent extremism (CVE). The program is organized by the U.S. Consulate General in Calgary and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and sponsored by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Counterterrorism and Countering Violent Extremism.
The goal of the program is to enhance cooperation between U.S. and Canadian government officials, community stakeholders, and frontline organizations who deal with social polarization, hate and violence issues, to improve resilience of communities against the threat of violent extremism in all forms. Participants will observe multiple community-centric approaches to CVE, best practices for cooperation between community and law enforcement, and social inclusion initiatives in the United States. The group will also familiarize U.S. government officials with Canadian best practices and policies in CVE.
Participants in this program are:
- Rod Knecht, Chief of Police, Edmonton Police Service
- Sarah Hamilton, Councillor, City of Edmonton
- Andy Knight, Chair and Academic Advisor, Organization for the Prevention of Violence
- Louise Hayes, Manager, Organizational Liaison of Alberta Indigenous Relations
- Bob Ritchie, Deputy Chief, Operations, Calgary Police Service
- Katie Black, Director, Calgary Neighbourhoods, City of Calgary
- Asif Rashid, Staff Sergeant, ReDirect program, Calgary Police Service
- Umashanie Reddy, Chief Executive Officer, Calgary Bridge Foundation for Youth
Participants are available for interviews after the program upon request.
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Deanna Cameron Dubuque
Public Affairs Specialist
U.S. Consulate General Calgary
403-444-5203 / Dubuquedc@state.gov
