In the wake of the wrongful arrest of two teen boys, community leaders say trust in police has been shaken
CBC
The recent wrongful arrest of two teenage boys has sent ripples of fear through Calgary's South Sudanese community and shaken an already fragile trust with the city's police, say members of the group.
"Every time something happens it takes people's [trust] back to square one," said Khor Top, president of the South Sudanese Community Association.
"It takes a lot of work for the relationship to be rebuilt."
Speaking to CBC on Monday, Calgary police Chief Mark Neufeld said the force had reached out to community leaders to hear their concerns, and that those relationships remained strong.
"When situations like this happen we're not starting with having to go figure out who the community leaders are, there's a level of familiarity," said Neufeld.
"So then we can tackle the issues together and come at them from a good place."
Last month, Neufeld apologized to two teenage brothers and their family after charges against them were dropped in connection to a gang-related fatal shooting in the northeast community of Marlborough.
A 14-year-old Calgary boy faced charges of first-degree murder and attempted murder, while his 18-year-old brother was charged with accessory after the fact to murder. The charges were stayed by prosecutors after social media video of the shooting emerged.
Following the apology, Neufeld said Calgary police hosted a meeting with members of the South Sudanese community to have a dialogue about what happened.
Top, who was at the meeting, said community members shared their dissatisfaction with how the police handled the incident.
"We discussed how this situation has really affected and traumatized the family. In many ways we thought this is similar to what we view as racial profiling and a targeted situation."
LISTEN | We hear part one of our year-end interview with Calgary Police Chief Constable Mark Neufeld:
Speaking to CBC, Neufeld said he did not think race played a role in the arrest of the two teens, but that an ongoing independent investigation into the arrests carried out by the Alberta RCMP will take it into consideration.
"I can tell you that again, it was a complex situation where I think at all times officers that were working on the case were coming from a good place," said Neufeld.
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