The Alberta Government is providing new grants to indigenous and local communities that want to develop their own regional police.
At a press conference Thursday afternoon, Minister of JusticeTyler Shandrooffers up to $ 30,000 to indigenous and local communities where the state wants to seek alternative police models. I said. The Community Policing Grant aims to help these communities prepare to present to the federal government business cases that outline the local needs for independent police services.
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" We've always felt that the better it is that law enforcement agencies can be more closely connected to their communities. A message from many indigenous communities in Alberta that they want to establish police services in their communities. "We have received," said Shandro.
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"These expert evaluations can be costly, and the government is better off with these costs. Services that feel should not be a barrier to communities seeking law enforcement. ”
The government has also provided additional funding to expand the three indigenous police services in the state. increase. An additional $ 150,000 will help fund 15 new police officers for police services in the Bloodtribe, Tutzina, and Lakeshore areas. Each service can hire 5 new police officers.
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Blood Tribe Police Chairman William Wadsworth said he needed a lot of financial support. I did.
"As the number of our communities grows, this support is extremely necessary, but at the same time, other issues such as drug use and other difficult situations are increasing." Wasworth said at a press conference on Thursday. ..
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Lakeshore Regional Police Service Chief Dale Cox Is a self-managed indigenous police force as a legitimate police service that said funding allows. According to Cox, many financial agreements between indigenous police services and the government are systematically discriminatory.
"Today's announcement begins to focus on the fairness and impartiality that must be included in the funding agreement given to self-managed indigenous police. Without such an announcement, the community You will not be able to properly protect and protect your employees, ”says Cox.
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But the Tuzina chief Roy Whitney-Onespot has a relationship between indigenous peoples and law enforcement agencies. He admitted that he needed to do more to repair.
"Historically police have been a challenge for us and other indigenous peoples. It is not necessary to say that the relationship between First Nations indigenous peoples and police authorities has been confirmed in the past," Whitney said.・ One spot is stated.
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