BC Policing and Community Safety Plan - Ministry of Justice ...

Program is intended to provide accountable and effective policing services that are culturally sensitive andresponsive to the particular needs of First Nations communities.FIRST NATIONS COMMUNITY POLICING SERVICES (FNCPS)On April 1, 2006, a Framework Agreement between the federal and provincial governments for RCMP-FNCPSin the Province of British Columbia was signed. In 2012, the FNCPS had an authorized strength of 108.5 RCMPofficers who provided dedicated police services to 131 First Nations communities in British Columbia through53 Agreements (CTAs). Each FNCPS unit is established under a tripartite agreement between the provincialgovernment, the federal government and the participating Band(s). The provincial share of funding the FNCPSis 48 per cent and the federal share is 52 per cent.The Province of British Columbia and Canada are currently in negotiations to establish a new frameworkagreement that would support the provision of policing services through the RCMP First Nation CommunityPolice Service. This agreement provides the opportunity for communities to play a role in establishing policinggoals, objectives and priorities that reflect the culture and traditions of these communities.INTEGRATED FIRST NATIONS POLICE UNITSIn 2007, a policing agreement was signed by the Province of British Columbia, the District of West Vancouver,and the Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations to create an Integrated First Nations policing unit comprisedof RCMP and West Vancouver Police Department members. This policing arrangement covers reserve landslocated in North Vancouver, West Vancouver and the Squamish Valley.In this same year, a policing agreement was signed by the Government of Canada, the Province of BritishColumbia, the Corporation of Delta and the Tsawwassen First Nation to deliver enhanced policing to theTsawwassen First Nation by the Delta Police Department. The funding of this agreement is shared by theprovincial and federal governments, 48 per cent and 52 per cent respectively. There is currently one memberproviding enhanced policing under this agreement.FIRST NATIONS ADMINISTERED POLICE SERVICES (FNAPS)There is one First Nations Administered Police Service (FNAPS) in British Columbia, the Stl’atl’imx Tribal PoliceService. This police service is a designated policing unit, with governance provided by a police board whosemembers are selected from the communities served. Police officers recruited by the police board are eitherexperienced officers or graduates from the Justice Institute of British Columbia Police Academy. All officers areappointed under the Police Act. In 2012, the Stl’atl’imx Tribal Police Service had an authorized strength of eightpolice officers.Accountability mechanismsDiscussions around police accountability are often interspersed with terms such as ‘oversight’, ‘superintend’and ‘governance’, as well as ‘civilian oversight’ or ‘civilian governance’. Within the context of this Plan, the term‘accountability mechanisms’ is the umbrella term for those systems, authorities or procedures that hold thepolice to account to citizens or government in some way. The issue of how best to achieve effective policeaccountability is one that has been examined and discussed extensively by British Columbians – in particular,over the past decade – resulting in an evolution of accountability mechanisms and systems in the province.¡ • Civilian oversightThe current civilian oversight regime in British Columbia is described below, followed by a discussion of governancemechanisms at the municipal and provincial level.10BRITISH COLUMBIA POLICING AND COMMUNITY SAFETY PLAN