Wooden plaque, in memory of Nereo Brombal, 1990

Wooden plaque dedicated to the memory of Constable Nereo Brombal, presented to his son Doug, by the Windsor Police Department.

The inscription on the plaque begins with "Justice Prevails" (translation). It notes that Nereo Brombal was "unjustly terminated" from the police force due to "his place of birth".

The Board of Commissioners of Police for the City of Windsor and the Windsor Police Service acknowledge with gratitude the work of Constable Brombal and their deep regret for the injustice done to him and others of the Italian community at a time when reason and humanity had been abandoned.

Nereo Brombal immigrated to Canada from Italy ca. 1914. He had met his German-born wife Johanna in northern Ontario. The family would settle in Windsor and the Brombals had 2 children.

In 1940, Brombal was fired from the Windsor Police Department due to his Italian birth. His son Douglas remembers a few tense years during the war, given his mixed German/Italian family.

Brombal would never return to his position as a police officer. However, in December 1990, the Windsor Police Commission apologized to Brombal’s family. They also created Camp Brombal, for underpriviliged kids, and run by volunteers from the police department, in Nereo Brombal’s honour.