Congolese refugee joins Spokane Police
He, his two brothers, and parents fled the DRC when he was eight and went to a refugee camp in Uganda. Balinda and his brothers resettled in Spokane when he was a teenager
SPOKANE
Balinda Kizombo is a passionate volunteer with the Spokane Police Department Reserve Unit. Since graduating from the academy a year ago, he dedicates 20 hours each month to supporting the department, taking on the same responsibilities as full-time officers. His commitment to serving the community showcases his unwavering dedication and pride in making a difference.
He shares that he has truly fallen in love with the program, as it offers him the opportunity to learn at a comfortable pace while continuing his vital work at World Relief. There, he uses his proficiency in six languages to assist refugees in their journey to resettle in the beautiful Inland Northwest. Balinda passionately asserts that the American criminal justice system is the fairest he has ever encountered. Having been born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a nation marked by civil war and unrest since the late 1990s, his perspective is profoundly shaped by his experiences.
Unicef reports thousands of children across the DRC have been forced to fight and kill. Balinda says militia and law enforcement were often one in the same and would threaten people to join their forces, do what they wanted, and would hurt and execute people who refused.
He, his two brothers, and parents fled the DRC when he was eight and went to a refugee camp in Uganda. Balinda and his brothers resettled in Spokane when he was a teenager. And now, he’s settling into a position to help other refugees new to our country by working with Spokane Police.
He works with Spokane Police Department’s Community Outreach Program and Senior Officer Jen Kerns, teaching refugees about the laws of America. Officer Kerns says it is pivotal to educate refugees about things like drinking and driving and domestic violence, which are legal in many parts of the world.
Officer Kerns says educating refugees protects them from breaking the law in their new land, and also helps them from becoming victims. Kerns says extortion and bribery are common for groups of authority in other parts of the world, and that refugees must learn that paying people off is not expected, and is not legal in America.
Balinda hopes to eventually work as a full-time officer for the Spokane Police Department. He says he’s proud to work for a police department that upholds the law and is held accountable. He looks forward to raising his new daughter with his wife in a place he’s happy to call home, Spokane.
