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

community goals and objectives; conferences; regular on-site program visits; enhanced support to CommunityConsultative Groups; and the distribution of educational materials to police officers. 24 Processes were put inplace to review RCMP financial and policy-related issues as they arise, monthly activity reports provided toFirst Nations communities, and results of annual questionnaires sent to First Nations communities. A numberof positions were created, including eight new CTAs, 17 RCMP-FNCPS positions, an Aboriginal Gang AwarenessCoordinator and Aboriginal Recruiter, and four senior Aboriginal officers.There is still a lack of clarity about local governments’ responsibility and funding for First Nations policingservices delivered within or near municipal boundaries. Questions also exist about the Government of Canada’sconstitutional authority to provide policing services on reserves. What this means in terms of future policy,funding levels and cost sharing remains to be discussed.NEXT STEPS: The First Nations Policing Agreements are currently being renegotiated with the Government ofCanada. These new agreements will outline the cost share and budget to support First Nations policing in theprovince. It is anticipated that these agreements will be completed in March 2014. As part of this process, theMinistry of Justice will continue to work closely with First Nations and the RCMP to develop a strategy to deliverprofessional and culturally appropriate policing services to First Nation communities. The strategy will addressthe current fiscal realities, community engagement, performance metrics, recruitment and retention of policeofficers, the deployment of policing resources, and enhancing the governance structure. The ministry will alsoreview the legal, constitutional and financial aspects of providing policing on reserve lands by September 2014.Theme #2 – Accountable: police areaccountable to civilian authority•¡Enhance community engagementACTION ITEM #4: In support of community-based policing, the Ministry of Justice will ensure that BritishColumbia communities have meaningful opportunities for significant input into local policing.CONSULTATION FINDINGS: Participants in the roundtable sessions said they want more input into policingpriorities and the way police services are delivered in communities. It became apparent that the existingstructures and processes for community input are, in many cases, not meeting expectations. Lack of awarenessof existing processes may also be a factor.CHALLENGE: Setting the goals, priorities and objectives for a municipal police department is one of manyimportant functions of a municipal police board. In practice, many municipal police boards and municipalpolice departments undertake various forms of community engagement and consultation; however, there iscurrently no mechanism to ensure this occurs.Municipalities and rural areas of the province policed by the RCMP are not governed by municipal policeboards; however, other official avenues for public and community input into policing are available. The RCMPrequires that all Detachment Commanders and Unit Commanders develop an Annual Performance Plan (APP).In doing so, they are expected to seek input from local residents, stakeholders, community leaders and organizationsregarding the concerns and issues of the community. The APP must be signed by a senior representative24 “The Spirit Has No Colour” video and discussion guide promotes discussion and understanding of the status of Aboriginalpeoples in British Columbia, their culture and traditions, and the ongoing effects of residential schools and the childwelfare system. While this was not mandatory training, every police agency and detachment in British Columbia wassent a free copy of the training package. First Nations orientation package were also distributed to all detachments.THEMES AND ACTION ITEMS 29