The Toronto Star asks the following question:
What to do if you’re a [Montreal] policewoman trying to take a statement from a Hasidic Jew who refuses to look at you, never mind answer questions?
Well, how about you treat them like anyone else who refuses to look at you or answer questions? Would it be acceptable for a citizen to ignore a black cop or refuse to answer his questions so long as the citizen is a avowed racist? Of course not. So why is discrimination somehow more palatable when it comes dressed as religion?
I suppose we could always ask gay people.
[tags]montreal, hasidic jews, women, police[/tags]
Skirl | Dan Dickinson 
Well, ignoring someone isn’t discriminating against them: they’re not denying the cop a job or equal pay or a place to live. And a person on the street is under no obligation to speak to a law enforcement agent.
The direction given the police is that in some circumstances it may be best to try to get a male officer to come in and ask the questions. I think that if the situation is not urgent and the opportunity is there, then this is what a female officer should try to do: this is being reasonable and accommodating to your community. If the situation is urgent (say, this person is a suspect or definitely has some information), or there’s no male officer about, then the female officer should attempt to interact. If they won’t answer, take them into custody.
Take what you just said and replace the words ‘male’ & ‘female’ with ‘white’ & ‘black’. Does it still sound like acceptable policy?
The union representative said their members were all for “reaching out to cultural groups…they do it every day.” Obviously, their officers would use judgment — as you described — in cases where they felt another member of the force might be better suited to deal with something, but to suggest that men are better suited to deal with Hasidic Jews (or any other religious sect) than women is both sexist (when it comes from the public) and discriminatory (when it’s institutionalized by the police force).
“Take what you just said and replace the words ‘male’ & ‘female’ with ‘white’ & ‘black’. Does it still sound like acceptable policy?”
Yes. If the gender and ethnicity of law enforcement officers made no difference, then police forces wouldn’t have programmes that encourage them to join (or that even mandate minimum levels).
“To suggest that men are better suited to deal with Hasidic Jews…than women is both sexist…and discriminatory”.
It sure is. No one’s saying that. They’re saying that Hasidic Jews are better suited to deal with men that with women.