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Prince Albert Police helping their brothers in blue in Ontario

Feb 27, 2017 | 1:32 PM

The Prince Albert Police Services’ expertise and experience in Indigenous relations has been called on by a police force in northern Ontario.

The Thunder Bay Police Service (TBPS) met with PAPS Chief Troy Cooper in November, 2016 to discuss improvements with Indigenous peoples. Cooper said Saskatchewan was chosen due to the high Indigenous population within the province and communities.

“I know that Saskatoon was one place they looked at initially, because of the historic conflict there,” Cooper said. “While they were looking around at some of the larger centres, they were advised… to come speak to Prince Albert as well.”

He said it’s exciting to be considered a leader in the field when it comes to maintaining strong ties with the Indigenous community.

“In the police profession we tend to look at each other and find out what other people are doing that’s working well,” Cooper said. “If we’ve been able to contribute to better relationships we’re very happy about that.”

Cooper said he recommended building relationships with the community before conflicts arise and to maintain a relationship of trust with Indigenous peoples.

“If you wait until there’s conflict to start working on and building those relationships you’re starting behind the eight ball,” Cooper said. “We’re not just here to police Prince Albert; we’re here because we’re a part of Prince Albert and we know that Prince Albert is Indigenous and has a large Indigenous population.”

Cooper highlighted a number of unique initiatives within the PAPS to better the understanding of Indigenous people and issues. He said the group from Thunder Bay was interested in learning about the Aboriginal Mentorship Program.

The mentorship program allows PAPS to offer potential recruits the supports like additional training or the English language instruction they need to succeed while applying to the force.

“We were able to bring a lot of really highly qualified First Nations and Métis officers into our organizations through that program,” Cooper said.

An elder is kept on staff, who is not only responsible for teaching protocol – she also has a hand in the day-to-day operations as well.

“She attends some briefings and offers advice and support on different programs around Indigenous education, things from the Truth and Reconciliation calls to action,” Cooper said.

Deputy Chief Jeff Rowden previously told paNOW he has seen improvement in relations between PAPS and Indigenous people, who make up at least 39.6 per cent of the Prince Albert population according to the 2011 census data.

Thirty-seven per cent of the PAPS force identifies in one way or another as Indigenous, though Cooper said the number can grow.

“We’re changing; we’re getting more and more diverse as a community,” Cooper said. “The more diverse we have of an organization, the more suited we are for solving some of the complicated problems that policing provides to us.”

Prince Albert has one liaison officer dedicated to co-ordinating cultural programming. Officers participate in Cree, Dene and Dakota teachings to better their understanding and communication with peoples from these cultures.

Elders are also invited to speak with officers about their respective cultures to provide understanding between the two groups.

Police relations with Indigenous people have been strained in the northern Ontario hub after an officer allegedly made racist comments on social media.

According to the TBPS website, two Indigenous liaison officers “work with our growing Aboriginal community here in Thunder Bay.” 

 

Bryan.Eneas@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @BryanEneas