º£½ÇÉçÇø

º£½ÇÉçÇø Protective Services (UAPS) Peace Officers, Security Agents and Navigators will soon be wearing language patches on their uniforms — a step toward more inclusive and accessible communication with the communities they serve.

This effort is inspired by a pilot from the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) in which officers wore patches identifying the languages they speak, making it easier for community members to know which language they can use to communicate. The overwhelmingly positive response has led to a similar approach at the º£½ÇÉçÇø.

With the campus community being as diverse and global as it is, language can sometimes be a barrier. These patches are a simple but meaningful way to help students, staff and visitors feel more comfortable approaching the team — and to make sure that everyone can be heard and understood in a language they trust.

Protective Services team members will wear patches representing the languages they speak, including Punjabi, Urdu, Luganda, Korean, Cantonese, Mandarin, French and Tagalog.

The initiative is being led by Community Liaison Peace Officer Ken Chan, in collaboration with the EPS Liaison Officer, as part of UAPS commitment to fostering inclusion, accessibility and a sense of belonging.

Safety and security are for everyone, and sometimes one word in the right language is all it takes to show we’re looking out for one another.