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Humber Polytechnic and Toronto Police Service Partnership Raises Awareness of Hate Crimes


A mock up a brochure that reads "Hate the Hate"
5 minutes

By Saran Davaajargal

According to the Toronto Police Service (TPS), hate crimes are on the rise. In 2022, TPS reported that the number of reported hate crimes is 74% higher than the pre-pandemic level and 40% higher than the 10-year average. Accordingly, the need for greater awareness of hate crimes and how to report them has become more pronounced over the years. Humber Polytechnic’s partnership with TPS is helping to address this issue through a collaborative endeavour that seeks to inform the public about identifying and reporting hate crimes. The partnership embodies the pillars outlined in Humber’s Academic Plan: 2023-2026, which are designed to prepare students for a career-ready future through education that combines theory with hands-on experiential learning.

In a creative advertising class taught by Professor Marilyn Cresswell in the Faculty of Media & Creative Arts, students had the opportunity to help solve a real-life challenge by creating an advertising campaign to raise awareness about hate crimes in Toronto.

For the first project born out of the partnership between TPS and Humber’s creative advertising program, the students were asked to create a pamphlet based on the key values of respect, understanding, inclusivity and that Canada is better with diversity. A total of 13 entries were submitted and evaluated by a judging panel of Humber and TPS representatives. The top three groups of students were recognized and awarded by TPS for their efforts. The winning students were Carter Mooney and Abigail Ramos, who created the “Hate the Hate: Report the Crime” pamphlet.

The pamphlet was a resounding success. In June 2021, the “Hate the Hate” pamphlet was made publicly available on the TPS website and distributed across Toronto internally and externally. In 2022, the TPS translated the pamphlet into 22 languages, including Arabic, Chinese, Farsi and French.

Creating the pamphlet not only provided students with the ability to hone their skills but also helped them gain more confidence in themselves as advertising professionals. Reflecting on his experience creating the hate crimes brochure that was selected to be used by the TPS in 2021, Carter Mooney, a 2023 graduate of Humber’s Bachelor of Creative Advertising program, says, “When we were given the task of creating the brochure, we were explicitly instructed to avoid using the word ‘hate’ entirely. So, I initially set out with the idea of ‘How to be more polite,’ offering a satirical take on promoting awareness of hate crimes and how to address them. Given the competition, with over ten other groups vying for the client’s attention, I realized that innovative ideas would be in high demand. Therefore, I took a bold approach and decided to challenge the instructions by doing the opposite. The title ‘Hate the Hate, Report the Crime’ emerged from this unconventional approach. While it felt like a risk, the title’s rhythmic repetition and boldness lent it a distinct appeal. After creating the initial sketches, I was confident in the concept and decided to put all my eggs in that basket. The decision to select my design was a pleasant surprise and served as a significant confidence boost in my abilities in graphic design and advertising.”

Marilyn expresses her gratitude to Doug Thomson, D.Phil, Criminal Justice professor in Humber’s Faculty of Social & Community Services, for helping bring about the partnership between TPS and her class. Over the years, Humber’s Criminal Justice and Creative Advertising programs have worked frequently with TPS on projects about harm reduction and expanding the scope of community policing. Doug is currently working on evaluating the Neighbourhood Community Officer Program for TPS in collaboration with Emma Smith, PhD, Associate Dean of Research & Development.

Hands-on educational experience

In 2023, TPS came back to Humber’s creative advertising program with yet another opportunity for students — to develop an advertising campaign for the hate crime pamphlets. Marilyn states, “The experience is beneficial for the students because they participate in research; they are part of the whole process. Students in the BoCA class learn more about the challenges and see the impact of their communication work on the community.”

Further, Professor Doug also notes that the partnership has numerous benefits for students. He says, “The students understand that their input has real value to the Toronto Police Service. The students also learn about professionalism. It’s one thing to present your work to your professor, but it’s another thing to present it in front of a whole team of police officers.”

Owen Lisle, Kesiah Bailey and Chloe McElcheran, third-year students in Humber’s Bachelor of Creative Advertising program, whose entry for an advertising campaign was selected as a winner, share that the hands-on experience allowed them to deliver real value to TPS and gain so much more from their classroom experience. They stated:

“Collaborating with the Toronto Police hate crimes division was more than just a project; it was a transformative journey that empowered us to make a real impactful campaign that could help make a difference. Winning the competition was just the cherry on top of an incredibly meaningful experience.”

8 people pose together. One person is holding a mock up of a poster that reads "Hate Leaves a Mark"
Award ceremony for the winners with TPS Deputy Chief Johnson, the Hate Crime Unit, as well as Senior Dean Guillermo Acosta.


“What does research mean to you?”

Both Professor Doug and Professor Marilyn are experienced researchers who have won Humber’s Research Excellence Awards in the past. They share that one of their goals is to demystify research for students and to show them that it is accessible. Doug notes that part of the success of the partnership comes from the fact that it is a cross-departmental collaboration. He emphasizes that working with people who look at the world differently has allowed the team to flourish and develop new ideas. When asked what research means to them, they respond,

“Research is trying to find out how the world works and how to make our world better.”

—Doug Thomson, D.Phil, criminal justice professor in Humber’s Faculty of Social & Community Services

“Research means making intelligent decisions based on empirical data and insightful research leads to better decisions for people, businesses and communities.”

—Marilyn Cresswell, MBA, program coordinator and professor in the Faculty of Media & Creative Arts