HAMILTON, Ontario – Hamilton police will hold a recruitment event next week at a local mosque amid efforts to engage the Muslim community and reflect the city’s diversity on the force.

“The reality is that we would like to see more diversity on the police services board, and would like to see that diversity reflected in the service itself,” said Kamran Bhatti, a director of the Muslim Association of Hamilton, CBC reported.

Bhatti praised the event plan, saying that the service has “come a long way” over the past 15 years in reaching out to multicultural communities.

“Despite that, we still don’t see many, if any, members of the sergeant rank or higher who reflect the (diverse) makeup of the city of Hamilton,” Bhatti said.

Those attending the event include recruiters from the RCMP, Ontario Provincial Police, Hamilton Fire Department, and Hamilton paramedics.

“We want to represent the population we serve,” Chief Eric Girt said.

Wednesday’s recruiting session follows a similar event held in March at the Ibrahim Jame Mosque, the site of a hate crime in 2016.

These events help the Muslim community to feel they are part of the Hamilton community.

“Hosting it at the mosque … once again shows that the Muslim communities are part of that social fabric that drives Hamilton,” Bhatti said.

They are also a way to promote the Muslim community’s relationship with police, as well as encouraging more young Muslims to join the police cadres.

“We hope to show and expose the talents that are within the Muslim community and the wider multicultural communities of Hamilton,” he said.

“And to show people of the Muslim community that all of the jobs in law enforcement aren’t kicking down doors.”