Brittany Hobson
APTN News
Policing services in First Nations and Inuit communities will receive a boost in federal dollars starting this spring following years of chronic under-funding.
The federal government has earmarked $291 million for the First Nations Policing Program that services more than 450 First Nation and Inuit communities across Canada.
“It’s budget has been too thin and too short term, subject to periodic extensions and renewals from time to time,” said Ralph Goodale, minister of Public Safety. “The last one of those was in 2013 which locked in agreements with provinces, territories and Indigenous communities until April 1, 2018.”
Rick Head, chief of the Dakota Ojibway police (DOPS) in Manitoba, said he hopes this means more support for his officers.
“More police officers to place in the various communities that’s what I would hope,” said Head. “A stronger integrated approach so that I can build a team with DOPS that would be oriented to support all the other detachments.”
