An organization representing more than 30 First Nations in southern Manitoba says it wants a seat at the table for the hiring of a new Winnipeg police chief.
The Southern Chiefs Organization (SCO) surveyed members and found a staggering 70 per cent of respondents said they had had first-hand experience with racism in policing, and a further 66 per cent said they have avoided seeking help from police for that reason.
Grand Chief Jerry Daniels told 680 CJOB’s Connecting Winnipeg that a “culture change” is needed if the police service and the city want to embrace reconciliation.
“I think the general consensus is that we’re having challenges within the police service, and I think we just really need to look at the stats around the impact on First Nations people,” he said.
“You’re more likely to get charged, you’re more likely to end up in jail. A lot of our lives are being lost through (police) interaction.
“We have a lot of great people who also work within the force, and we’re very thankful for those who serve, but we’ve got to create some cultural change there.”
Daniels pointed to the creation of the Downtown Community Safety Partnership as an example of a tactic that is moving in the right direction and working to create relationships with community members.
Law enforcement working directly with Indigenous people for community safety, he said, is key.
“Utilizing our people who have experience working with our demographic helps with understanding the situation, rather than coming at it from an aggressive and sort of combative position.
“We understand that some situations, though, are volatile, but it’s really good to have an understanding of the person if we can. … We think DCSP downtown has taken a pretty good, evolved sort of culture within it.”
Outgoing police chief Danny Smyth, who had served as the city’s top cop since 2016, announced last December that he would be retiring, setting the wheels in motion for the city to begin consultations on hiring his replacement.
Coun. Markus Chambers, chair of the Winnipeg Police Board, told Global Winnipeg in a statement Monday that although representatives from SCO weren’t part of the consultation process, their views are similar to those of other organizations that have taken part.
“The importance of reconciliation is reflected in the updated profile for the police chief,” Chambers said.
“The board is committed to finding a leader committed to resolving Indigenous issues through respect and building trust with all members of the community.”