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NAPS Policing Negotiations

Update - January 20, 2009

As you know, the current extension to the NAPS agreement expired on September 30, 2008 and we signed the necessary six month extension to ensure the ongoing operation of the police service while we continue to negotiate a new agreement with Ontario and Canada.

 

Our negotiations were on hold while the federal election was held and a new Minister was appointed. On October 30, 2008 Peter Van Loan, MP for York-Simcoe, was sworn in as the Minister of Public Safety. With a new Minister in place we can now begin negotiating with Ontario and Canada. Our first negotiations session is scheduled for January 28, 2009.

 

In December 2008 I, along with members of the NAPS Negotiating Team, met with National Chief Phil Fontaine to brief him in preparation for his meetings with federal officials in support of our policing negotiations. The National Chief will be working with the NAN Executive Council to bring the federal Minister and his officials a strong message that we need a full review of the existing federal First Nations Policing Program with a goal of changing the funding formula to take in the unique needs of NAPS.

 

As we prepare for negotiations we had some good news on NAPS staffing. We were encouraged by the recent announcement by the Province of Ontario to allocate eleven additional officers to NAPS from the Provincial Police Officer Recruitment Fund.  The eleven officers are funded for 5 years, beginning April 1, 2008.

 

Policing is essential to our communities. We are in the midst of a prescription drug crisis that has placed extraordinary demands on our policing service, yet we continue to struggle to provide adequate police facilities and officer housing, competitive salaries and remote living allowances and service growing community needs. Meanwhile Canada refuses to meet its core Constitutional and Treaty responsibilities to support our police service.

 

The failure of the federal government to properly fund NAPS and the recently announced  funding cap have created a situation in which the level of First Nations policing services was and is not comparable to that provided to non-First Nations communities. Lives are at risk.

 

We need a new agreement that can ensure public safety and officer safety in the communities. The goal of our negotiations remains finding a sustainable approach for properly funding our police service.

 

If you have any questions or would like to discuss this further, feel free to contact me directly.

 

Meegwetch!

Alvin Fiddler

Deputy Grand Chief

 

Update - October 16, 2008

As part of the commitment made at the Keewaywin Conference to develop an ongoing communications plan, I am writing to provide you with an update on the status of the NAPS negotiations.

The current extension to the NAPS agreement expired on September 30th, 2008 and we signed the necessary six month extension to ensure the ongoing operation of the police service while we continue to negotiate with Ontario and Canada.

NAN Chiefs Resolution 08/53 directed us to create a steering committee of NAPS board members, Chiefs and an independent advisor for the negotiations. The steering committee has held a number of conference calls to discuss our negotiations strategy.

At the July 2008 Annual General Assembly of the Assembly of First Nations, the NAN leadership put forward an emergency resolution on First Nations policing. The resolution directs the National Chief to seek an urgent meeting with the Solicitor General on our funding crisis and to develop an advocacy strategy to make our voices heard in Ottawa.

Progress at the negotiating table was sidelined by the federal election call. We continue to press for an independent review of NAPS and NAN Chiefs Policing Forum but are currently at an impasse as we wait for the appointment of a new federal minister. The uncertainty following a possible cabinet shuffle will likely slow down progress at the negotiating table until the new year.

Rather than wait for clarity in Ottawa we have decided to develop an aggressive lobby and advocacy strategy to get our key messages across to the decision makers in Toronto and Ottawa.
A number of events are in the planning stages for the next few months.

Policing is essential to our communities. While our policing costs rise, we continue to struggle to provide adequate infrastructure and service community needs. Meanwhile Canada refuses to meet its core Constitutional responsibilities to support our police service.

The ever increasing costs of policing cannot continue to be financed out of the existing agreement. We deserve the same level of policing as other Canadians. The goal of our negotiations remains finding a sustainable approach for funding our police service. 

Meegwetch!
Alvin Fiddler
Deputy Grand Chief

 

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