Indigenous people can’t trust Thunder Bay police says Julian Falconer, lawyer representing families – APTN News

Apr 30, 2024

Families who have lost loved ones in Thunder Bay recently have written to the Inspector General of Policing of Ontario calling for the city’s police services board to be dissolved and the police service disbanded.

Long-time lawyer Julian Falconer is representing the families of Corey Belesky and Jenna Ostberg.

The calls to disband the embattled Thunder Bay police service are not new. What is new is the role of Ryan Teschner, who began his mandate as inspector general of policing on April 2, 2024.

In an email, Teschner wrote that he was “reviewing both complaints carefully.”

Teschner acknowledged the inspector general “has the authority to disband a police service. However, that is a measure of last resort and only available where prior directions of the Inspector General, issued after an inspection, have not been complied with.”