First Nation policing services in crisis with unsafe facilities, detachment closures and staffing issues
NAN press releases ...
NAN community takes policing message to Parliament Hill
THUNDER BAY, ON, Feb. 27 /CNW/ - Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) Deputy Grand Chief RoseAnne Archibald together with Kashechewan First Nation Chief Jonathan Solomon will bring a message to the Government of Canada regarding First Nation policing during a news conference at Parliament Hill this week.
DATE: Thursday February 28, 2008
TIME: 11:00 a.m.
LOCATION: Charles Lynch Room, Rm 130-S Centre Block
Parliament Hill, Ottawa, ON
Kashechewan First Nation Chief Jonathan Solomon will address the growing policing crisis in his community, including ongoing infrastructure challenges as displayed in the short documentary film Nishnawbe Aski Police Service: A Sacred Calling and a January 2006 Kashechewan detachment fire where two prisoners died and an officer was badly burned.
Solomon's anticipated message comes after meetings with provincial Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services (Monday) and federal Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day (Tuesday), the closure of two Nishnawbe Aski Police Service (NAPS) detachments (Kasabonika Lake and Marten Falls First Nations) and NAN Grand Chief Stan Beardy's February 1st call on the governments of Ontario and Canada to address the growing policing crisis across NAN territory.
NAPS serves 37 of NAN's 49 First Nation communities. Only 1 of 35 detachments meets national building code standards.
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NAN community gives Ontario deadline to address policing crisis
TORONTO, Feb. 25 /CNW/ - Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) Grand Chief Stan Beardy together with Mushkegowuk Tribal Council Grand Chief Stan Louttit, supports the message of Kashechewan First Nation Chief Jonathan Solomon as he presented the Government of Ontario with a 30 day deadline to commit to addressing the growing policing crisis in his remote First Nation community in a meeting with Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services Rick Bartolucci and via news conference at Queen's Park this morning.
"Kashechewan is in a unique situation because we're viewed as one of the best case scenarios in terms of meeting basic infrastructure needs in terms of policing, but it's actually a situation of best of the worst," said Kashechewan First Nation Chief Jonathan Solomon whose James Bay community of approximately 1500 people is currently policed by Nishnawbe Aski Police Service (NAPS) which experiences ongoing and cumulative infrastructure challenges as displayed in the short documentary film Nishnawbe Aski Police Service: A Sacred Calling (2008).
"It's an issue of an accumulation of challenges," said Solomon whose community experienced a detachment fire January 2006 where two prisoners died and an officer was badly burned. "The community would ideally rather keep our First Nation police service, but to ensure the unique needs of our community are met on the long-term, we will explore other policing options over the next 30 days with the expectation the Government of Ontario will display a commitment to work with our community and NAPS to address the severe funding shortages within the police service comparable to provincial standards."
Solomon's message comes after this month's closure of two NAPS detachments (Kasabonika Lake and Marten Falls First Nations) and NAN Grand Chief Stan Beardy's February 1st call on the governments of Ontario and Canada to address the inadequate funding of NAPS across NAN territory.
"It's time both levels of government (Ontario and Canada) commit to discussing long-term solutions to meet basic health and safety standards for NAPS detachments," said NAN Grand Chief Stan Beardy who represents 49 First Nation communities across two-thirds of the province, including Kashechewan. "Our communities should not be forced to consider looking at other policing options simply because our treaty partners cannot properly address this ongoing issue."
NAPS serves 37 of NAN's 49 communities. Despite negotiations to address infrastructure needs with provincial and federal representatives since 1994, only one NAPS detachment meets national building code standards. 13 modular detachments (trailers) have been installed as a temporary solution - Kashechewan's detachment operates out of one of these trailers.
Kashechewan First Nation is not the only NAN community exploring other policing options to ensure community safety.
Mushkegowuk Tribal Council Grand Chief Stan Louttit supports Chief Solomon's message and attended the meeting with Minister Bartolucci along with Beardy and Solomon this morning. Mushkegowuk Tribal Council, which represents Kashechewan and six other NAN communities at the Tribal Council level, submitted a complaint to provincial and federal Human Rights Commission July 2007 based on continual underfunding for policing operations.
NAN leadership will bring the same message to the Government of Canada during a meeting with Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day Tuesday and via news conference on Parliament Hill Thursday.
Nishnawbe Aski Nation is a political territorial organization representing 49 First Nation communities in James Bay Treaty 9 and Ontario portions of Treaty 5 - an area covering two-thirds of the province of Ontario. Kashechewan is one of NAN's communities and is part of Mushkegowuk Tribal Council.
Visit www.nan.on.ca to view short film documentary NAPS: A Sacred Calling.
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/For further information: Jenna Young, Director of Communications, Nishnawbe Aski Nation, (807) 625-4952 or (807) 628-3953 mobile/