Chiefs’ human rights complaint argues that chronic underfunding due to racial discrimination is having “a profound effect on safety.”
Toronto Star: OTTAWA—The Indigenous Police Chiefs of Ontario are calling on Canada to stop delay tactics in a human rights case over First Nations community policing.
During the Assembly of First Nations Special Chiefs Assembly in Ottawa, First Nations leaders and police service representatives said Thursday that Canada continues to fail to come to the table for meaningful negotiations on equitable funding for First Nations police services.
“The funding agreements that are provided to our leadership, to our First Nation chiefs, are essentially done with a gun held to their heads,” said Linda Debassige, Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief. She added that negotiations over police funding have never been fair.
“We call on Canada to withdraw their motion to adjourn this matter and allow these police services to have their day in court.”
In March 2023, the Indigenous Police Chiefs of Ontario (IPCO) filed a complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal against the federal government, arguing that chronic underfunding to First Nations police services due to racial discrimination is having “a profound effect on the safety of First Nation communities.”
The complaint was launched after three police forces — UCCM Anishnaabe Police Service, Treaty Three Police Service and the Anishinabek Police Service — were unable fairly negotiate new funding agreements with the federal government, causing their funding to be cut off.
After no new agreements were reached this past March, the IPCO refiled its complain with the tribunal in April. A hearing is now scheduled in the tribunal for early January.
But the IPCO is arguing the federal government is deploying delay tactics to stall negotiations. Lawyer Julian Falconer, representing the IPCO, said Canada has filed a motion to adjourn the case before the hearing next month.
The Star contacted Public Safety Canada about the motion and ongoing case and did not receive a response.
Public Safety Canada has administered and funded Indigenous police forces through the First Nations and Inuit Policing Program since 1991. While the program provides policing to 385 of the 680 First Nations and Inuit communities across the country, only nine police forces in Ontario are fully administered by the local First Nations communities.
The program has long been criticized for inequitable funding and resources. In March, Canada’s auditor general found that Public Safety Canada did not allocate funds equitably and lacked “consistent engagement and partnership with communities.”
Jeff Skye, chief of the Anishinabek Police Service, said along with inequity in salaries and pensions compared to municipal police services, First Nations police services currently are unable to determine their own budgets or the number of officers needed and are dealing with improper buildings and a lack of mental health supports for their officers, among many concerns.
“There’s been very minimal investment in the First Nation policing in over 30 years,” Skye said, adding it will take decades to fix the issue.
“Our people deserve better.”
Last month, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in Quebec (Attorney General) v. Pekuakamiulnuatsh Takuhikan that Quebec had failed to uphold its “honour of the Crown” by not negotiating in good faith with Pekuakamiulnuatsh First Nation over a new funding agreement for the Indigenous community in Mashteuiatsh, Que.
On Tuesday, First Nations chiefs at the assembly voted to call for a national inquiry into systemic racism in policing and First Nations people’s deaths on Tuesday.
In front of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and several cabinet ministers who attended the assembly Thursday, Martha Martin, Claudette Beals-Clayton and Edith Wells — mothers of people who died from police encounters — called for justice reform and a national inquiry into police violence against Indigenous people.
The prime minister said he would do “do everything in my power as a government” to address racism in Canada’s justice system. He did not go as far as to commit to a national inquiry.
Debassige called Trudeau “absolutely cowardly” for failing to make that commitment. “Only then will justice happen.”
By Joy SpearChief-MorrisOttawa Bureau
Joy SpearChief-Morris is an Ottawa-based reporter covering federal politics and Indigenous issues for the Star. Reach her via email: jspearchiefmorris@thestar.ca
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