Ottawa contributes more money to federal Indigenous policing program

“Today we’re making the greatest federal investment for policing in First Nation and Inuit communities since 1991.” That’s what Ralph Goodale, the federal minister of public safety, said Jan. 10 as he announced money for 185 First Nation and Inuit police forces, which include Nunavik’s Kativik Regional Police Force. (FILE PHOTO)

Policing in Inuit and First Nations communities will receive an additional amount of nearly $300 million over the next five years, Ottawa announced Jan. 10.

That brings the federal government’s total five-year investment in the program to $813.7 million.

Beneficiaries of the continued program include Nunavik’s Kativik Police Force, which, along with 184 other First Nation and Inuit police forces in Canada, receives a portion of its annual operating budget—about $20 million a year, according to the Kativik Regional Government—from this federal program.

The money, earmarked from the First Nations Policing Program, includes, in addition to amounts already announced in the last budget, $144.4 million to support officer safety, policing equipment and salaries, as well as $44.8 million, starting in 2019-2020, for up to 110 additional officer positions.

There no Nunavut communities with agreements in place or coverage under the FNPP.

In 2018-19, the total of $291.2 million in new money will go to communities currently serviced under policing program agreements between the federal government, provincial and territorial governments, and First Nation and Inuit communities.

All these agreements are now set to end March 31.

The tripartite agreement with Ottawa and Quebec City, which came in effect between April 1, 2014 and provides funding for KRPF operations, expires March 31.

“While it is the federal government’s intention to conclude this work before March 31, the option for a one-year extension is available,” states a news release on the funding announcement.

Under the First Nations Policing Program, Canada provides 52 per cent and Quebec 48 per cent of funding for the KRPF.

An agreement with Quebec for the purpose of maintaining police services in the communities is also in effect and also expires March 31, according to information on the KRPF website.

More money flowing from Ottawa means that Quebec will also be looking to contribute more money to the KRPF, which wants, along with other Aboriginal police forces in Quebec, pay equity for its officers with the better-paid Sûreté du Québec provincial police force.

When asked about its plans for the new policing agreement, the KRG, which oversees the KRPF, said it was “premature for the KRPF to make public comments before delivering the list of demands for the policing services in Nunavik to both levels of government (Fed-Prov) for the 2018-2023 exercise.”

“The KRPF will be delivering the list of demands in a few days,” the statement to Nunatsiaq News said.