First Nations leaders call for Thunder Bay police to disband for failing to serve Indigenous people [Video]

Leaders from several First Nations communities in northwestern Ontario are calling on the province to disband the Thunder Bay Police Service and Thunder Bay Police Board for becoming what they say is a “cold case factory” when it comes to Indigenous deaths. Numerous reports and expert panels have documented Thunder Bay police failures to serve Indigenous people. The police chief and other members of the force are currently facing multiple charges in the wake of three recent deaths.

Thunder Bay police Chief Darcy Fleury said he empathizes with the ‘pain and frustration’ heard from families and First Nations leaders, and that his department will continue to work to resolve open cases. He also said his administration will continue to co-operate with the Ontario Provincial Police investigation.

Thunder Bay Police Service Board issued a statement, saying it ‘understands the process of building trust with Indigenous communities requires transparency, acknowledgement and accountability.’ It also said, ‘The Board uses information from community feedback … to help strengthen policies and procedures to make sure we are meeting the needs of the communities we serve.’

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/1.7180444

Support is available for anyone affected by these reports and the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous people. Immediate emotional assistance and crisis support are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week through a national hotline at 1-844-413-6649.

You can also access, through the government of Canada, health support services such as mental health counselling, community-based support and cultural services, and some travel costs to see elders and traditional healers.

https://www.rcaanccirnac.gc.ca/eng/1548700698392/1548701361628

Family members seeking information about a missing or murdered loved one can access Family Information Liaison Units.

https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/fund-fina/cj-jp/fund-fond/mmiw-fada/info.html

»»» Subscribe to CBC News to watch more videos: http://bit.ly/1RreYWS

Connect with CBC News Online:

For breaking news, video, audio and in-depth coverage: http://bit.ly/1Z0m6iX
Follow CBC News on TikTok: https://bit.ly/3TnHioe
Follow CBC News on Twitter: http://bit.ly/1sA5P9H
Find CBC News on Facebook: http://bit.ly/1WjG36m
Follow CBC News on Instagram: http://bit.ly/1Z0iE7O
Subscribe to CBC News on Snapchat: https://bit.ly/3leaWsr

Download the CBC News app for iOS: http://apple.co/25mpsUz
Download the CBC News app for Android: http://bit.ly/1XxuozZ

»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»
For more than 80 years, CBC News has been the source Canadians turn to, to keep them informed about their communities, their country and their world. Through regional and national programming on multiple platforms, including CBC Television, CBC News Network, CBC Radio, CBCNews.ca, mobile and on-demand, CBC News and its internationally recognized team of award-winning journalists deliver the breaking stories, the issues, the analyses and the personalities that matter to Canadians.