Cst. Idris Maloba wins award for Promoting Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Constable Idris Maloba has been recognized with the Promoting Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Award at this year’s Thomas G. Flanagan First Responders Awards, honouring a career defined by service, cultural connection, and sustained community impact.

Cst. Maloba joined the Ottawa Police Service in 2020, though his commitment to supporting vulnerable communities in Ottawa stretches back well over a decade. Before joining policing, Cst. Maloba worked as a social worker with the Youth Services Bureau (YSB), where he supported young people navigating complex social challenges.

That foundation has continued to guide his work in uniform.

Within the community, Cst. Maloba is also closely associated with Project Chance Africa, an initiative focused on youth development and opportunity-building across underserved regions. Through sustained fundraising efforts and hands-on volunteer work, he has helped bring resources directly to communities that often lack access to basic recreational infrastructure. His involvement has included travel to several African communities where he has contributed time, labour, and equipment to youth-focused projects.

Among the most tangible outcomes of that work are the development of community sports spaces, including soccer fields built to give young people safe places to gather, play, and connect.

Back in Ottawa, Cst. Maloba’s approach remains consistent: strengthening relationships, reducing barriers, and fostering inclusion across the communities he serves. His work reflects a broad understanding of equity—not as a single initiative, but as an ongoing commitment embedded in everyday interactions, partnerships, and outreach.

The Promoting Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Award represents everything Cst. Maloba stands for, as well as the work he does for people in our city, every single day.

Congratulations on a well-deserved recognition, Cst. Maloba.