Actions and Commitments:
Exploring Theme: "AFN – Canada MOU: Policing"
Updates on this page: 19
April 18, 2023
Commitment to Community Policing
NationTalk: Alberta’s government will ensure Indigenous communities and municipalities have the support they need to study what kind of police service best meets their local needs. Every Albertan should feel safe and secure in their communities and every community should be able to choose a policing model that meets their needs. Alberta’s government is investing...
November 28, 2022
Trudeau commits $62.5M to Indigenous safety, healing projects in James Smith Cree Nation
Global News: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government will invest over $20 million toward Indigenous-led community safety projects in First Nations across the country, while promising continued work toward making Indigenous policing an essential service in Canada. The money is part of $62.5 million in federal funding Trudeau announced Monday while visiting James...
November 25, 2022
Ontario Helping Modernize First Nations Policing
NationTalk: TORONTO — The Ontario government is providing more than $6 million to help First Nations police services better protect their communities. The investment is part of the province’s First Nations Policing Modernization Initiative, and will be used to purchase new technology, including mobile workstations, body cameras and automated license plate readers. “First Nations police...
November 8, 2022
Indigenous policing program to expand to Nunavut
First Peoples’ Law Report: Nunatsiaq News: A federal program that is supposed to support Indigenous-led approaches to public safety will expand to Nunavut over the next three years, the territory’s justice minister announced Tuesday. The Government of Nunavut and the federal government have signed an agreement in principle to bring the First Nations and Inuit...
September 23, 2022
Siksika Nation to take over policing from RCMP
NationTalk: The Siksika Nation and the governments of Alberta and Canada have reached a deal allowing the nation to take over policing responsibilities from the RCMP, creating Canada’s first self-administered First Nation police service in 14 years. In July 2022, Alberta and Siksika Nation signed a memorandum of understanding to work towards establishing a self-administered...
September 21, 2022
Ottawa aims to table legislation this fall making Indigenous policing essential
SOOTODAY.COM: OTTAWA — Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino is promising to “work around the clock” to table legislation this fall that would declare Indigenous policing an essential service. Doing so would fulfil a commitment Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made years ago to First Nations leaders. Lennard Busch, the executive director of the First Nations Chiefs...
September 6, 2022
AB Government: Community Policing Grant applications now open
NationTalk: Indigenous and municipal communities in Alberta can now apply for a one-time grant of up to $30,000 to develop a business case for their own self-administered police service or regional equivalent. The provincial grant offers financial assistance to Indigenous and municipal communities preparing a business case outlining local needs, capital requirements and transition considerations....
July 18, 2022
Establishing a Siksika Nation police force
NationTalk: Alberta’s government and the Siksika Nation have signed an agreement to work toward establishing a self-administered police service for their community. The parties have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) broadly agreeing to work together on initiatives to improve public safety for members of the Siksika Nation. More specifically, discussions between the parties will...
June 1, 2022
Manitoba’s Bill 7, The Police Services Amendment Act (Enhancing Independent Investigation Unit Operations) receives Royal Assent
Codifylaws.com: This Bill makes a number of amendments to The Police Services Act that deal with the operation of the Independent Investigation Unit (IIU), which is responsible for investigating police officer conduct. The following are the key changes. The timing and circumstances when a police service is required to notify the IIU of a serious...
December 9, 2020
Funding to AFN to develop framework an plan for First Nations policing
Public Safety Canada – Government of Canada is funding up to $1.5M to the AFN “to support the AFN to engage in initial dialogue and launch discussions recognizing the AFN as an important partner in First Nations policing reforms, and to lay the groundwork for a framework and plan to begin discussions towards co-developing legislation which...
January 1, 2019
Safer Ontario Act
“Safer Ontario Act”: Recognizes police forces in First Nations’ territories as full-fledged law enforcement and guarantees support, standards and resources to do their work. (Macleans)...
December 13, 2018
AFN-QL recommendations to the Viens Commission
During his testimony to the Viens Commission, the Chief of the AFNQL recalled the three main issues that Quebec has repeatedly been asked to act upon, namely: To recognize, denounce and fight against the systemic racism that exists within its institutions and population. To repair the wrongs suffered by the victims, especially First Nations victims....
November 15, 2018
Investments in policing facilities in First Nations and Inuit communities
The Government of Canada is investing $88.6 million over seven years in policing facilities in First Nation and Inuit communities to ensure that police officers serving these communities work in safe facilities. Recognizing there are pressing needs in terms of policing infrastructure in First Nation and Inuit communities, a new federal program, Funding for First Nation...
March 26, 2018
Commissioner Viens supports extension to tripartite negotiation deadline
Commissioner Viens of the “Public Inquiry Commission on Relations Between Indigenous Peoples and Certain Public Services in Quebec” issued a 3rd Call to Action to postpone the March 31st, 2018 tripartite negotiation deadline with every Aboriginal police force to a reasonable delay that could go up to one year while maintaining the upgraded funding. This delay...
March 26, 2018
AFN-QL seeks extension to tri-partite negiatiation process around FN police force
Public Inquiry Commission on relations between Indigenous Peoples and certain public services in Québec (Viens Commission) attests that changes need to be made in light of the public safety state of emergency in First Nations communities. The Assembly of first Nations Quebec-Labrador (AFNQL) recommends, among other things, that First Nations wishing to extend their tripartite...
March 8, 2018
Nishnawbe Aski Nation praises passage of Bill-175
Ontario’s Bill-175 states First Nations can apply to be a designated police board responsible for policing in an area under the Police Services Act. This means First Nations police services could be protected under the same legislated policing standards as municipal and provincial police services. Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) called the passing of the bill...
January 11, 2018
AFN response to Government of Canada’s First Nations Policing Program
Assembly of First Nations OTTAWA—Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Perry Bellegarde says last week’s announcement on federal support for the First Nations Policing Program (FNPP) is necessary and critical to ensure safety and security for First Nations and First Nations police forces and police officers. AFN BC Regional Chief Terry Teegee, who holds...
January 10, 2018
Investments in policing in First Nations and Inuit communities
Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, announced a federal investment of up to $291.2 million over five years, starting in 2018–2019, for policing in First Nation and Inuit communities. This funding will be dedicated to communities currently served under the First Nations Policing Program (FNPP). For the first time, the federal...
November 20, 2017
Public Safety Minister meetings on First Nations policing
First Nations policing was a substantive topic for discussions with Public Safety Minister Goodale. Many participants spoke strongly of the need to strengthen and expand the programs to put them at par with other police services in the country in terms of salaries, equipment, technology and resources, and to recognize them as an essential service....