RCMP get cultural diversity officer

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This article was published 22/06/2010 (5056 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

MANITOBA’S RCMP took another step Tuesday towards becoming more culturally aware with the addition of a new position designed to reach out to the province’s minority groups.

Corp. David Ogungbemi will be the first full-time cultural diversity officer whose beat will be assessing the needs of the province’s culturally diverse communities.

Ogungbemi has been with the RCMP for 17 years, and Assistant Commissioner Bill Robinson said he could think of no one better for the job.

Robinson said Ogungbemi will travel to remote and rural communities to act as a liaison between the RCMP and visible minorities.

"Manitoba is a culturally diverse province," said Robinson. "We are always looking for ways to reach out to visible minority groups."

A former health inspector and correctional officer, Ogungbemi immigrated to Winnipeg from Nigeria in 1981.

Justice Minister Andrew Swan said he was delighted with the creation of this new position.

"We have had 13,000 new immigrants in the past 12 months," said Swan. "This is the largest number since Stats Canada began recording. We need to have a presence in these communities and forge good relationships."

Both Ogungbemi and Robinson addressed the risk of new immigrants being recruited into gangs as a means of acceptance.

britt.harvey@freepress.mb.ca