Indigenous police forces in Quebec filing complaint against Public Safety Canada with Human Rights Commission – CityNews
October 30, 2023
The 22 Indigenous police forces in the Quebec are joining forces and filing a complaint against Public Safety Canada with the Canadian Human Rights Commission for what they call “the persistent underfunding of Indigenous police forces.”
The Quebec Association of First Nation and Inuit Police Directors (QAFNIPD) say that their legal action, “aims to ensure that the rights of all Indigenous communities are respected in accordance with the federal government’s obligations to provide appropriate and adequate services to meet the needs of Indigenous communities.”
According to agreements with Public Safety Canada, they explain that their members are supposed to provide basic services equivalent to those offered to any population across Quebec and Canada. “Unfortunately, current funding and conditions do not allow them to reach that level. Essentially, our police forces are asked to perform as effectively as their counterparts with a half empty toolbox.”
