Friday, November 17, 2006
Montreal police defend guidelines for Hasidic Jews
The Montreal Police Service is defending an article that recommends women officers call for backup from male colleagues on calls involving the Hasidic Jewish community.
The article, published in the October issue of the internal newsletter L'Heure Juste, is part of a series of features on different religions and cultures, and aims to assist officers who find themselves in potentially awkward situations, said a police spokeswoman.
"That's the reality," said Insp. Joanne Paquin. "If we don't understand the differences of all those cultures, maybe we won't respond the right way."
But the Montreal Police Brotherhood insists the force has gone too far, accusing it of denigrating its female officers by suggesting they can't do the job alone.
"We have to deal with citizens with respect and professionalism, and that's exactly what our officers are doing. It doesn't matter if they are male or female," said Yves Francoeur, president of the brotherhood, a union that represents 4,200 members of the Montreal police force.
The feature, published in French, is headlined "Sometimes ... ignoring is respecting" and describes a fictional situation in which a female officer responds to a robbery call at a Hasidic bakery. The bakery owner pays no attention to the female officer but directs his answers to her male partner.
The article explains why Orthodox Jewish men often avoid fraternizing with women, because of religious laws outlined in the Torah.
"For some Hasidic Jews, that signifies they must avoid speaking to women out of respect for their status as mothers. Others won't have a problem speaking with a female officer rather than a male because they recognize the social role being played by the woman."
The article concludes with advice to female officers. "Your role, as a professional, is to facilitate exchanges with the public. In some cases, that may mean asking your male colleagues to help facilitate certain discussions."
Montreal's Jewish Orthodox Community Council said Wednesday it was surprised by the article, because no one in the community has ever had a problem with male or female officers.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2006/11/16/qc-policeandhasidim.html
The Montreal Police Service is defending an article that recommends women officers call for backup from male colleagues on calls involving the Hasidic Jewish community.
The article, published in the October issue of the internal newsletter L'Heure Juste, is part of a series of features on different religions and cultures, and aims to assist officers who find themselves in potentially awkward situations, said a police spokeswoman.
"That's the reality," said Insp. Joanne Paquin. "If we don't understand the differences of all those cultures, maybe we won't respond the right way."
But the Montreal Police Brotherhood insists the force has gone too far, accusing it of denigrating its female officers by suggesting they can't do the job alone.
"We have to deal with citizens with respect and professionalism, and that's exactly what our officers are doing. It doesn't matter if they are male or female," said Yves Francoeur, president of the brotherhood, a union that represents 4,200 members of the Montreal police force.
The feature, published in French, is headlined "Sometimes ... ignoring is respecting" and describes a fictional situation in which a female officer responds to a robbery call at a Hasidic bakery. The bakery owner pays no attention to the female officer but directs his answers to her male partner.
The article explains why Orthodox Jewish men often avoid fraternizing with women, because of religious laws outlined in the Torah.
"For some Hasidic Jews, that signifies they must avoid speaking to women out of respect for their status as mothers. Others won't have a problem speaking with a female officer rather than a male because they recognize the social role being played by the woman."
The article concludes with advice to female officers. "Your role, as a professional, is to facilitate exchanges with the public. In some cases, that may mean asking your male colleagues to help facilitate certain discussions."
Montreal's Jewish Orthodox Community Council said Wednesday it was surprised by the article, because no one in the community has ever had a problem with male or female officers.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2006/11/16/qc-policeandhasidim.html
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