By Taylor MacPherson

P.A. Police working towards reconciliation

Feb 27, 2017 | 11:04 AM

The Prince Albert Police Service has made major strides towards reconciliation, but Chief Troy Cooper said he wants to do even more.

At their Feb. 27 meeting, Cooper presented the Board of Police Commissioners with a report on the department’s progress towards implementing the 94 calls to action made in 2015 by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. Cooper said the police service has actively worked towards reconciliation since the commission released its recommendations.

“I think it’s important for the public to be aware that we understand and we’ve reviewed the calls to action,” Cooper told paNOW. “We know that we have a role to play.”

The Saskatchewan Police Commission requires every officer to complete multicultural training, Cooper said, and noted P.A. officers and civilian staff participate in additional cultural training. The police also employ an Indigenous Resource Officer and an elder, Cooper said, and officers regularly attend Indigenous ceremonies and celebrations in the community.

Moving forward, Cooper said he wants to see police policies and procedures developed with reconciliation in mind.

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“We want to develop policy that’s going to ensure that the calls to action are implemented,” Cooper said.

Cooper said he has planned other initiatives to strengthen the relationship between the police force and Indigenous community.

“We’re going to be recruiting in both the Dene and Cree languages in the North,” Cooper said. “We’re right now considering some way to partner with some other interested agencies and stakeholders around some way to honour missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls.”

The police service already employs several officers who are fluent in Cree, Cooper noted, and Dene translation is available when required.

“We recognize our role in reconciliation,” Cooper said. “We’re taking steps to make sure we carry out our responsibilities in that regard.”

Ry Moran, director of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation at the University of Manitoba, said education is crucial to reconciliation in policing.

“Education is one of the most powerful tools that we have in our toolkit to combat racism and prejudice,” Moran said. “Police forces really have an obligation to make sure that their staff that are out there on the front lines are properly trained.”

Moran said through proper training, police can begin to understand the issues facing Indigenous residents, and move from opposition towards advocacy.

“There is no one-size-fits-all answer for improving the relationship with police services and Indigenous peoples,” Moran said, emphasizing that all reconciliation measures should be carefully scrutinized to ensure they will deliver real benefits.

-EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was changed Feb. 27 at 12:43 to correct an error. The TRC recommendations were released in 2015.

Taylor.Macpherson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @TMacPhersonNews