Chief McNeely addresses community outreach following terrorism-related arrests in Kingston

The following is a message from Antje McNeely, Chief of Kingston Police

On behalf of the Kingston Police, I would like to thank our community for its patience and understanding with respect to the investigation by the RCMP Integrated National Security Enforcement Team that culminated in our city on Thursday, January 24, 2019.

We are very proud to be part of such an open and welcoming community, and we are fortunate to have so many partner agencies who support us and play a vital role in this respect.  We have made great strides over the years in building partnerships, and these partnerships enable us to take a multidisciplinary approach to community issues.  This has stood us in good stead as we look to build resiliency in the community in response to this investigation.

Prior to the media conference on the 24th, the RCMP Public Engagement Unit and members of our CORE Unit met with community leaders to discuss community bridge-building and to strategize an enhanced engagement plan for any affected citizens.

Since then, there have been other meetings initiated by community partners with the goal of providing a safer and more united and inclusive community and supporting those who have been directly and indirectly affected.

In the near future and with community input, we will be discussing and developing short-term, medium-term, and long-term plans to create a culture of inclusivity and to develop a community strategy for early intervention practices and education.

As mentioned by one of our community partners, “this is an opportunity to leverage the good relationships we have now and strengthen them through this unfortunate situation.”

– Antje McNeely, Chief of Police