E Division - Reconciliation Strategic Plan

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Delivery of Police Services to Indigenous Communities and Peoples

In British Columbia, the Indigenous Policing Services unit leads the proactive role to provide culturally sensitive policing to Indigenous communities, and to improve relations between Indigenous people, the RCMP, and the Criminal Justice System through a strong and effective Indigenous policing complement. The Indigenous Policing Services team includes Coordinators for Gang Awareness, Métis and Urban Indigenous communities, Recruiter, Community Liaison team, Missing Persons Liaison and Program Manager to support enhanced police services to Indigenous communities. Indigenous Policing Services coordinates and delivers the First Nations Policing Program, which consists of 55 Community Tripartite Agreements and is delivered by 117.5 Indigenous Policing Service members serving 121 Indigenous communities in BC.  

Reconciliation Objectives

The BC RCMP is working to advance reconciliation and renew the relationship with Indigenous peoples, based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation, and partnership. BC RCMP employees are striving to build relationships toward reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples by listening to what it means to the local peoples. Each positive engagement with Indigenous Peoples and communities is a step towards building trust, culturally sensitive policing and developing our own internal cultural competency which will help guide our reconciliation objectives and strategies.

Objectives

  1. Internally Focused Action Item for Indigenous Employees (as per Vision 150)
  2. Restorative Justice: Initiatives that Support Meaningful and Culturally Appropriate Justice Practices.
  3. Formalize Relations with Indigenous Groups (Especially Women’s groups) / Explicit Collaboration with Provincial and Territorial Women’s Groups, Elders, Youth, Employees.
  4. Addressing the Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) Calls for Justice – Police Services
  5. Alignment to Provincial or Territorial MMIWG or Reconciliation Action Plans

Objective #1:

Internally Focused Action Item for Indigenous Employees (as per Vision 150  

1. Indigenous Cultural Advisory Committee (ICAC)

ICAC members, photo taken October 25, 2019 at Okanagan Indian Band Community Centre

(ICAC members, photo taken October 25, 2019 at Okanagan Indian Band Community Centre)

The purpose of the BC RCMP Indigenous Cultural Advisory Committee is to improve and foster stronger communications, offer advice from an Indigenous cultural perspective, serve as a knowledge base to provide feedback on the services provided to Indigenous communities by the RCMP, and give guidance to support Indigenous Employees. The mandate of the Indigenous Cultural Advisory Committee includes (but is not limited) to:

The committee advisors will provide guidance to the BC RCMP in the following areas:

2. First Nations Policing Program Member Wellness

The BC RCMP recognizes the importance of supporting our Indigenous Policing Service (IPS) members in providing comprehensive, accountable, and culturally sensitive service delivery to Indigenous communities. The oil and gas/ natural resource projects and Indigenous solidarity protests profoundly impacted many IPS members’ well-being. Many IPS members involved, participated in the police response to protests in an outreach and non-enforcement capacity through their relationships with Indigenous communities. In response, the BC RCMP held a well-being event for nearly half of the IPS members (of which approximately 50 per cent identify as Indigenous), whereby mental, physical, and cultural support was provided to members through a number of learning and discussion activities. The event included a dialogue between all participants in which they shared difficulties they face on the frontlines of high profile demonstrations, protests, and discussed the importance of supporting one another to continue to provide much needed services to Indigenous communities. By looking at opportunities which build our internal cultural competence and resiliency, we can continue to rebuild our relationships with the Indigenous peoples and communities we serve.

Objective #2:

Restorative Justice: Initiatives that Support Meaningful and Culturally Appropriate Justice Practices.

The BC RCMP continues to seek meaningful alternative justice measures, such as restorative justice, in response to the harm caused by criminal behaviour.

Project Blueprint was a qualitative research project that was completed by E Division Community Policing Services in 2017. The project looked extensively at the experiences of restorative justice programs and detachments in BC with high rates of police referrals. Lessons learned were communicated to 36 detachments and programs across the province. Project Blueprint has enhanced awareness of the benefits of restorative justice, increased collaboration with local programs, and facilitated an understanding of how the referral process works.

Crime Preventions Services continues to be a champion for the effective use, knowledge, and completion of properly coded/scored files. We anticipate referral numbers to rise as we continue to educate our detachment restorative justice liaisons through detachment visits and inform members on the benefits of restorative justice.

The BC RCMP actively participates and will increase support and expand culturally-appropriate and relevant Indigenous restorative justice and healing practices. The following are current examples of BC RCMP participation in Indigenous Peoples Court and culturally appropriate justice programs:

Objective #3:

Formalize Relations with Indigenous Groups (Especially Women’s groups) / Explicit Collaboration with Provincial and Territorial Women’s Groups, Elders, Youth, Employees.

The BC RCMP partners with the following front-line organizations that work in service delivery, safety, and harm reduction for Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people and to expand and strengthen police services delivery.

1. Moose Hide Campaign

On February 24, 2020, BC RCMP Commanding Officer Jennifer Strachan attended the Victoria Conference Centre in support of the Moose Hide Campaign Provincial gathering and provided a keynote address to participants.

BC RCMP employees support this campaign which is a grass-roots campaign to end violence against women and children. Indigenous Policing, Regular Members and detachment staff attended local community Moose Hide campaign events. Over the past three years, BC RCMP has distributed over 20,000 Moose hide pins to our employees and to the communities we serve. Wearing the Moose Hide pin signifies your commitment to honour, respect, and protect the women and children in your life and speak out against gender-based and domestic violence. In partnership and support, many pledges have been voiced by RCMP across BC and hosted on the Moose Hide website. The BC RCMP Commanding Officer and Surrey RCMP, produced a pledge video to take a stand against violence.

2. Métis Sashing Our Warriors

Wearing of Sash and education through presentations Sashing Our Warriors. This is a holistic grassroots campaign created to provide education and awareness needed to prevent further violence against Métis women and girls. The campaign supports individuals and the community to heal and rebuild as a whole through an honouring (sashing) ceremony representative of the Métis culture.

3. Métis – Louis Riel Day

Education and awareness to Indigenous Policing Service members and the Métis Coordinator attends events. This year, the Métis Coordinator shared an educational information to the BC RCMP employees at E Division Headquarters.

4. Commitment Sticks – Ending Violence Against Women and Children

During the Indigenous Policing Services Annual Training, participants took a commitment with sticks to end violence against women. Indigenous Policing Service members in BC introduced this initiative to their local community. The commitment sticks have been used by IPS members in their local Indigenous communities.

Objective #4:

Addressing the Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) Calls for Justice – Police Services

1. BC RCMP Indigenous Recruiter position
2. Indigenous Pre-Cadet Training (IPTP) National Program
3. Nicola Valley Institute of Technology Law Enforcement Preparation Program
4. BC RCMP Indigenous Policing Services - Missing Persons Liaison Position
5. BC RCMP Métis Community Liaison Coordinator

Objective #5:

Alignment to Provincial or Territorial MMIWG or Reconciliation Action Plans

On November 26, 2020 the BC Premier provided letters of mandate to the Minister of Public Safety, Solicitor General, and to the Attorney General. There is strong direction given in several areas which Indigenous Policing Services is currently involved in, and supports through varied activities and programs.

Under Equity and Anti-racism, the Premier outlined the following: Delivering on our commitments to address racial discrimination will require a commitment by all of government to ensure increased IBPOC (Indigenous, Black and People of Colour) representation within the public service, including in government appointments.

In the mandate letters, is direction to: work with police to address serious crime in B.C. communities, including cracking down on those who distribute toxic drugs on the streets.

Moving Forward

The BC RCMP supports the federal governments Speech from the Throne, identifying the core priority of Walking the Road of Reconciliation in moving forward as a partner on the journey of reconciliation. Furthermore, IPS has submitted information to the Special Committee on Reforming the Police Act outlining activities in two areas:

Additional activities and initiatives being developed to reduce systemic racism and support reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples and communities include the following:

These strategies and IPS activities support reconciliation efforts and improve access to culturally appropriate justice and support within the justice system. These initiatives will help shape the direction and implementation of an intelligence-based BC RCMP reconciliation strategy and serve as a guide toward rekindling and strengthening the RCMP’s commitment and relationship with Indigenous communities, peoples, and employees.
 

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