Question Period Note: First Nations Policing

Budget 2021 provided funding to co-develop First Nations policing legislation and stabilize and expand the existing First Nations and Inuit Policing Program to additional communities.

• Indigenous communities, like all communities in Canada, should be places where people and families feel safe and secure. A culturally sensitive, respectful and properly funded police services are essential for community safety and well-being.

• Budget 2021 provides a total of $861 million over five years and $145 million ongoing to support culturally responsive policing and community safety services in Indigenous communities, including $540.3 million over five years and $126.8 million ongoing to support existing communities and expand the First Nations and Inuit Policing Program to new communities.

• In addition, the Government has committed to co-developing federal legislation that recognizes First Nations police services as an essential service.

• Collaboration with First Nation communities and organizations, provinces and territories, and police organizations will be crucial to develop legislation.

Budget 2021 proposes to provide $861 million over five years, beginning in 2021-22, and $145 million ongoing, to support culturally responsive policing and community safety services in Indigenous communities. This includes:
• $43.7 million over five years, beginning in 2021-22, to co-develop a legislative framework for First Nations policing that recognizes First Nations policing as an essential service.
• $540.3 million over five years, beginning in 2021-22, and $126.8 million ongoing, to support Indigenous communities currently served under the First Nations Policing Program and expand the program to new Indigenous communities.
• $108.6 million over five years, beginning in 2021-22, to repair, renovate, and replace policing facilities in First Nation and Inuit communities.
• $64.6 million over five years, beginning in 2021-22, and $18.1 million ongoing, to enhance Indigenous-led crime prevention strategies and community safety services.
• $103.8 million over five years, beginning in 2021-22, for a new Pathways to Safe Indigenous Communities Initiative (led by Indigenous Services Canada) to support Indigenous communities to develop more holistic community-based safety and wellness models.

Co-development of Federal Legislation for First Nations Policing
In response to calls for reforms in this area, the Government of Canada has made it a priority to co-develop federal legislation that recognizes First Nations police services as an essential service.

Given the shared legislative responsibility for Indigenous policing, efforts to reform Indigenous policing must be done in close collaboration with provinces while respecting their policing legislative frameworks. Co-developing federal First Nations policing legislation involves the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) as a primary partner, while recognizing broader engagement with First Nation communities, governments and organizations is also essential. To that end, the Government is in the process of engaging these stakeholders through various means over the coming months.

Simultaneously,in co-developing federal legislation for First Nations policing, distinctions-based dialogue with Inuit and Métis would take place to better understand their unique policing priorities. Further, PS will also work with Territorial governments and Indigenous groups to develop a Territorial Indigenous Policing Action Plan, to identify “made in the Territories” solutions to the unique policing and public safety challenges in the region.

First Nations and Inuit Policing Program (FNIPP)
The FNIPP is a contribution program that provides funding to support the provision of policing services to First Nation and Inuit communities across Canada. FNIPP policing agreements are cost-shared between the federal government (52%) and the Provincial/Territorial (PT) government (48%). The FNIPP currently serves approximately 60% of First Nation and Inuit communities in Canada.

Funding under the FNIPP is provided to support two main policing models:
1. Self-Administered Police Service Agreements (SA): where a First Nation or Inuit police service is authorized or established by the PT government and provides primary (day-to-day) policing services to a First Nation or Inuit community. SAs account for 789 police officer positions; and,
2. Community Tripartite Agreements (CTA): where a contingent of police officers from the RCMP provide dedicated policing to a First Nation or Inuit community that is intended to supplement the level of PT police services provided to that community. CTAs are made pursuant to bilateral Framework Agreements between Canada and the participating PT. CTAs account for 449.5 police officer positions.

In addition to these two main policing models, the FNIPP provides support to other policing agreements, with an additional 83.5 police officer positions.

The FNIPP has had a significant and measurable positive impact on the safety of First Nation and Inuit communities funded under the program. Based on an analysis of FNIPP-funded police detachments, there has been a 26% decrease in incidents of crime from 2004 to 2014, with a 25% reduction in incidents of violent crime. Further, positive perceptions of safety were found in communities with FNIPP-funded police services. Data collected from the 2015-16 Regional Health Survey shows 87% of respondents from communities with SA agreements and 77% of respondents from communities with CTA agreements felt very safe or reasonably safe.

In January 2018, the Government of Canada announced a federal investment of up to $291.2 million over five years, beginning in 2018-19, for policing in First Nation and Inuit communities. This additional funding was intended to address matters such as officer safety, police equipment purchases and salaries, as well as support 110 additional police officer positions in First Nation and Inuit communities currently served under the FNIPP.

Funding for First Nation and Inuit Policing Facilities
In November 2018, the Government of Canada created a new program, Funding for First Nation and Inuit Policing Facilities, with an investment of $88.6 million in contributions funding over seven years, beginning in 2018-19, to support the repair, renovation and replacement of policing facilities in First Nation and Inuit communities. As with the FNIPP, these investments are cost-shared at 52% federal – 48% provincial/territorial. Budget 2021 proposes an additional investment in the Program of $108.6M over five years beginning in 2021-22.

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