Back to SearchThe Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP) is pleased to announce that Sergeant Ziyad Zabian of the London Police Service (LPS) is the recipient of the 2022 OACP Award of Excellence in the Advancement of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity in Policing.
This award honours an individual that demonstrates exceptional commitment to achieving/advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion within their police organization and/or communities
For the past ten years, Sergeant Zabian has made relationship building with various communities his mission and has worked tirelessly to help the LPS build connections in the various communities throughout London.
On June 6, 2021, the City of London experienced a horrendous tragedy when a 20-year-old male intentionally drove his truck into a Muslim family who were out for an evening walk. The collision killed four adult members of a family and left the 9-year-old son with serious injuries.
While investigators took on the enormous task of investigating this heinous crime, Sergeant Zabian immediately engaged with members of the local Muslim community, who were in a state of shock and experiencing profound grief. While the various investigative tasks were difficult, the relationships which had previously been developed and nurtured by Sergeant Zabian with London’s Muslim community assisted the investigative process in numerous ways. More importantly, these relationships allowed LPS to immediately start to help the Muslim community with the grieving and healing process.
In the days following the attack, the greater London community responded with an unprecedented outpouring of grief and support for its Muslim community members. A community vigil was held that saw thousands of citizens, from all walks of life, in attendance. Two days after the vigil, a community march took place, which saw more than 10,000 citizens demonstrate their support for the community. Sergeant Zabian served as the liaison between the vigil, march organizers, and the various federal, provincial, and municipal law enforcement agencies that were required to support these events. His efforts were instrumental in ensuring the Muslim community received the necessary support to start their recovery process.
Sergeant Zabian remains committed to using the terrible event on June 6, 2021, as a platform for teaching other police and community agencies the importance of relationship building with all diverse communities they serve and protect.
This annual award is made possible by the generous support from Accident Support Services International Ltd.
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