Police Violence and Indigenous Peoples
Issue:
Coinciding with anti-racism protests which have erupted across the United States and several Canadian cities, a Global News article was published referencing “disturbing police violence against Indigenous people”, followed by a second article by the National Post citing the use of force by RCMP in the arrest of Indigenous Chief Allan Adam of Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, and a third article from the Hill Times about increase in public complaints of violence by the RCMP in 2018-19.
Proposed Response:
- Dignity is expected and respect is earned. As Canada’s national police force, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police takes a clear stand against all forms of racism and discrimination.
- Contributing to safer and healthier Indigenous communities is a strategic priority of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and protecting the safety of all Canadians is of utmost importance.
- The RCMP is committed to improving the relationship with all Indigenous communities, supporting survivors of violence and their families, and ensuring that investigations are robust, professional and result in justice for the survivors and their families.
- In any interaction with the public, RCMP members are guided by the RCMP’s bias-free policing policy, which is based on the principles of equality and non-discrimination, as well as the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Canadian Human Rights Act, the RCMP Act and the RCMP’s mission, vision and values.
- If an individual believes they were treated in a manner that is not in the spirit of the Bias-Free Policing policy, or believe an RCMP employee did not conduct themselves appropriately, the RCMP encourages them to follow the appropriate public complaints process.
If Pressed on the arrest of Indigenous Chief Allan Adam:
- The main objective in any interaction with the public is the safety of public, first responders, and law enforcement officers.
- Many occurrences can be resolved through dialogue, which is why crisis intervention and de-escalation training is mandatory for all RCMP officers. However, occasionally, additional intervention options may be necessary.
If Pressed on Violence Against Inuit Women:
- The RCMP is committed to ensuring its policies and practices are inclusive and barrier-free for the diverse groups of people it serves, including applying a gender-based analysis plus lens on all policies, procedures and training.
Background:
On June 5, 2020, Global News published an article referencing “disturbing police violence against Indigenous people.” The article cited an incident in Nunavut in which an RCMP officer was caught on video hitting a 22-year-old Inuk man with the door of a moving truck. This article was published alongside those of rising anti-racism and police brutality protests within the United States and Canada following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota during a police intervention.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a public statement calling a variety of recent unspecified reports of police violence against Indigenous people “disturbing” and stating that the cases need to be “investigated properly.”
Shortly after, on June 7, 2020, the National Post published an article referencing the arrest of prominent Indigenous leader, Chief Allan Adam of Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, which involved intervention by RCMP officers at the scene.
Furthermore, a third article was published by the Hills Times on June 8, 2020 about an increase in public complaints of violence in 2018-2019, particularly against Black and Indigenous people.
Incidents involving police intervention are complex, dynamic and constantly evolving, oftentimes in a highly-charged atmosphere. Police officers must make split-second decisions when it comes to responding with intervention options, if necessary.
Members of the RCMP are trained to assess situations and respond appropriately. RCMP cadets are provided initial training over a 26-week period at the RCMP’s Training Academy in Regina, at which time they receive extensive training on techniques and appropriate police involvement options, which include de-escalation techniques and intervention, as appropriate and necessary.
The training includes both classroom instruction and scenario-based training anchored in the RCMP’s Incident Management/Intervention Model (IMIM), which is a visual aid that assists officers in continually assessing risk, based on the totality of the situation and considering subject behaviour(s), situational factors, tactical considerations and the officer’s perceptions.
In any interaction with the public, RCMP members are guided by the RCMP’s Bias-Free Policing Policy, which is based on the principles of equality and non-discrimination, principals of Gender-Based Analysis (GBA+) training, as well as the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Canadian Human Rights Act, the RCMP Act and the RCMP’s mission, vision and values. Bias-free policing means equitable treatment of all persons by all RCMP employees in the performance of their duties, in accordance with the law and without abusing their authority regardless of an individual’s race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, age, mental or physical disability, citizenship, family status, socio-economic status, or a conviction for which a pardon has been granted. The RCMP does not target any individual or group based solely on their racial, ethnic or religious background, and focuses on observed or suspected criminality and behaviours. .
The RCMP is subject to several internal and external review processes that ensure its police officers are accountable for all use of force occurrences and member-involved shooting incidents. Internal processes may take the form of an investigation by professional standards, a review by a use of force subject matter expert, or an Independent Officer Review.
The RCMP constantly reviews and updates its policies, procedures and training to address identified gaps, and to ensure the RCMP remains a proactive, nimble and responsive police service for Canadians across the country.
The RCMP continues to look for opportunities to build trust in communities by increasing training and cultural awareness.
Contacts:
Prepared by: Katherine El-Sammak, Policy Analyst, C&IP. 613-850-9549
Approved by: Brian Brennan, Deputy Commissioner, Contract and Indigenous Policing, RCMP (613-617-1124)
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