Canada

The Canadian Press - ONLINE EDITION

First Nations raise alarm over pending end of on-reserve police funding

By: Laura Jakobschuk, The Canadian Press

Posted: 02/26/2013 4:22 PM | Comments: 0

OTTAWA - A looming expiration date for First Nations police funding has many chiefs worried for the safety of their communities.

At midnight on March 31, public-service agreements funding First Nations policing will expire, leaving 26 communities in Quebec and Labrador in limbo.

The federal government hasn't indicated whether it plans to renew the funding, and has ignored requests to discuss the issue, native leaders said at a news conference Monday.

"There's nobody who could police our communities to the extent and effectiveness we do ourselves," said Chief Lloyd Phillips of the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake.

The First Nations Policing Program supports policing services in First Nations and Inuit communities across the country. It came into force in 1991 and is funded by the federal government, province or territory and the community.

"I believe, in Canada, policing services are deemed to be an essential service with the exception of First Nations, where it is a program," Phillips said.

The chiefs want Public Safety Minister Vic Toews to commit to a minimum of one year's funding for the communities affected, and agree to larger discussions about policing on reserves.

In the House of Commons on Monday, Toews said he would be meeting with First Nations chiefs later that day to discuss policing programs.

"A finding decision on the program will be made in the near future," he added.

The federal government is currently exploring the most effective and sustainable policing models for First Nations communities, Jean Paul Duval, a Public Safety Canada spokesperson, said in an email.

Chiefs say they attempted to contact the minister for two years and received no response. Only weeks away from possibly losing their funding, the Assembly of the First Nations of Quebec and Labrador met in Ottawa to demand answers.

"If the minister is not going to fund us then he should say it instead of being vague," said Phillips.

After 30 years of policing his community, Gordon McGregor says he knows the value of a First Nations police force. As the chief of the police department on the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg reserve in Quebec, he says his force reflects the values of his community.

"We have a police force that is very professional and compassionate to our people, who can ensure our future is there," McGregor said.

He said provincial police forces, such as the S�ret� du Qu�bec, don't work in First Nations communities because they're a big organization with a mandate to "catch the bad guys and bring them to jail."

First Nations policing is more focused on developing strategies to fix social issues, he said.

"The only way our issues are going to be resolved is if our community can police themselves."

Fact Check

Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.

* Required

In which story did you find the error? *
Please post the headline of the story or the title of the video with the error.
What was the error? *
Please post exactly what was wrong with the story.
What should we have written?
Please indicate your source for the correct information.
Who else should we interview to improve this story?
Please include any contact information you may have.
Can we contact you in the future for advice on stories about this topic?
Yes

No
First Name: *
Last Name: *
E–mail Address: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Phone: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Colour:
Are you blue? If you can see this, leave it blank and get some CSS support.
Enter the words that you see: * This is to prevent our forms from being filled out automatically.
You have failed to correctly identify the words in the box above. Please try again.

More Canada

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.