NCJ Number
130024
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 39 Issue: 4 Dated: (April 1991) Pages: 45-46
Date Published
1991
Length
2 pages
Annotation
The policing needs of Canada's native Indian population, both on and off the reserves, are receiving more attention.
Abstract
Some analysts say the increased attention has resulted from the new militancy of Indian leaders, while others believe the change is due to a new understanding that the policing needs of Indians are different from those of the general population. A visible sign of change in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) is that officers are allowed to wear their hair in traditional braids. In Montreal, the RCMP formed a special native division to help the Quebec Provincial Police recruit and train natives to police their own communities. Further, the RCMP is training potential native officers at its Ottawa and Regina academies. Some Indian tribes have been taking responsibility for policing their own territories. An example is the Six Nations Reserve in Ontario. This reserve's police force is the only independent native force in the province and is cited by governments, police organizations, and native groups as the example for other native communities to follow. The reserve needs more officers, however, to provide security for its 8,000 people. In the event of a serious crime where expert help is required, the native force calls on the Ontario Provincial Police for assistance. Training of Indian police officers in British Columbia and Manitoba is discussed.