Hamilton police’s first Indigenous liaison officer says “building bridges” between authorities and the indigenous community is what she’s done most of her public service career.
Const. Stacey Hill is taking her 26 years of policing into a position that will be at the forefront of navigating interaction between Hamilton police and Indigenous communities.
“Indigenous people don’t have good dealings with our police officers, with residential schools, with systemic racism and all the things that have happened over a number of years,” Hill told Global News.
“So my goal is to try and build those bridges so the two can have some kind of meeting ground in the middle.”
Hill, who grew up on the New Credit Reserve, but has both Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee blood, will also work closely with a newly formed Indigenous Consultation Circle .
Chief Frank Bergen says to his knowledge the liaison position has been “20 years in the making” amid numerous attempts to blend such a element into the service.
Bergen admitted that the “aftermath of a difficult interaction” at a gas station on the Mountain in May 2022 with a member of the community expedited the placement.
The family of Patrick Tomchuk issued a series of calls to action following his assault, which prompted a Hamilton police criminal investigation.
“We were called to the table, and like any good family it’s great when you can get both sage advice and direction,” Bergen said.
Hamilton Police Services (HPS) Board chair Pat Mandy says despite being founded “on a negative issue” the new role is the “first step” in opening up conversations asking what will make Indigenous community members “feel safer.”
“It’s all about that building good relationships where you can be open and talk,” Mandy said who’s a member of Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.
“Even … if it’s negative, you can say ‘hey we need to discuss this’ and find ways to work better.”
Hill’s appointment comes the same week Hamilton police introduced a new third-party facilitator, Rebecca Banky, to lead conversations between the service and the LGBTQ2 community.
Bergen says the HPS’ is also seeking development of advisory tables with communities they’re hoping to launch a dialogue with.
HPS staffers will deliver the city’s annual police report on hate crimes Thursday, and with case numbers rising year-over-year, Bergen hopes a community review team will come into existence in the near future.
“In that particular case, we’ve already had many of our community that are willing to sit down and start looking at that, as Hamilton as a whole, managing hate in our community,” said Bergen.
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