The Waterloo Regional Police Service participated in a community outreach event on March 18, 2026, in Waterloo, Ontario, to promote a regional safety program called We All Belong Here. This initiative was launched in response to a rise in hate-motivated incidents and 2022 data from Statistics Canada, and is designed to bring the community together to stop these incidents.
The campaign uses the message “Hate is not ok. Name it. Report it,” to encourage residents to speak up when they see or experience trouble. The goal is to make it easier for people to find help and report incidents through various community and police resources. This effort includes systems to support the community and tools to help residents feel safe, including resources for those seeking to move past passive observation toward active participation in building an inclusive community.
This outreach comes after 2022 data from Statistics Canada showed that the Waterloo area was ranked among the top three Canadian metropolitan areas for police-reported hate crimes. Local leaders and police want to change this by encouraging residents to move from being quiet observers to active participants in building a safe neighbourhood.
The program originally began in October 2025 and continues to offer education and resources for everyone in the area. Officials say that keeping the community safe is a shared responsibility and they are working to make sure everyone feels welcome.
