Offensive language is punishable without needing to constitute a breach of the peace. This will enable First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities to have a holistic, culturally-based and community-driven approach to children and youth services. Concerns regarding the entire criminal justice system’s treatment of Aboriginal youth was a recurring theme in the submissions received by the Commission. Unfortunately, indigenous over-representation issue is quite complex with interplay aspects that involve basic causal factors including historical, political, societal and economic factors. Past EVENTS / Over-Policing Black and Indigenous Lives. In their study of the overrepresentation of Indigenous adults in Canada, New Zealand, and Australia, Jeffries and Stenning (2014) found that sentencing contributes little to the over-incarceration of Indigenous adults compared to decisions of police and prosecutors in the process, and the social conditions of Indigenous people. This creates a cycle whereby Indigenous youth are more likely to have longer criminal histories and greater struggles to divert from the criminal justice system. “A lot of times, Indigenous people don’t want to come forward because they don’t want the attention, they are afraid (they’ll be) targeted even further and, sadly, they just take it,” he said. NSW Police accused of ‘racist policing’, as Indigenous youth comprise more than half of those targeted by obscure Suspect Target Management Program (STMP). The coming into force of the Act affirms the inherent right of First Nation, Inuit and Métis communities to move forward with legislation to exercise jurisdiction over child and family services at a pace that they choose. I was like, ‘How is this right’?”. Policing under the Suspect Targeting Management Plan is particularly harmful in criminalising already overpoliced Indigenous young people. Indigenous Youth Wonder: Who is Policing First Nations’ Police? The three other men who were arrested say they were also roughed up and remain traumatized by the incident, especially police treatment of Porter. It was midnight, and I was driving her home at the end of her shift because dangers—both canine and human—rendered it unsafe for our civilian staff members to walk home alone after dark. By Wendy Gillis Staff Reporter. The plan contributed to detrimental social outcomes for the young people in our study. High profile instances of police brutality against Black, Indigenous and racialized people, from the killing of Andrew Evans in 1978 to the killing of D’Andre Campbell, Chantel Moore and Ejaz Ahmed Choudry this year are not independent incidents, but part of this long-standing trend. “They are investigating themselves and I fear that this incident will get dismissed, as it is not being taken seriously,” Porter wrote in a letter to the council in March. Sun., June 28, 2020 timer 7 min. Neither the Six Nations Police Service nor Acting Deputy Chief David Smoke, the officer who investigated the complaints, responded to multiple emails and phone calls from the Star. During the incident, Porter and four other young men — who all live on Six Nations — allege at least six officers used unjustified force while arresting them on cannabis charges. “As a member of this community, I deserve the right to feel safe and protected by our police service. read. “I also fear that the Six Nations police will do this to someone else, and the next person might not be so lucky.”. If it shifts or becomes blocked it could obstruct his airway, causing him to suffocate. 3 - Legislative diversionary measures have not positively affected Indigenous young offenders as compared to Caucasian counterparts. But what that looks like — whether it be an oversight body, community council, a commissioner or ombudsperson — should depend on each community’s distinct needs. Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. Constantly being harassed by police is a barrier to having a normal life. “I also fear that the Six Nations police will do this to someone else, and the next person might not be so lucky.”. Although that may mean good news in the future, it doesn’t help the men from Six Nations. While the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) has reduced Canada’s overall youth incarceration rate in recent years, the relative proportion of detained Aboriginal youth has actually increased. Throughout Canadian history, the RCMP played a significant role in shaping Canada's relationship with Indigenous peoples. A discussion that takes a critical look into the history of over-policing in Canada, the communities most affected, where things stand now, and where we go from here. Most Indigenous kids don’t do crime, this is an issue of over-policing,” he said. Here’s why, Indigenous cannabis dispensary grows in popularity after raids, BONOKOSKI: Not all First Nations are battening down the COVID-19 hatches, SNGR takes moment of silence ahead of general council; discussions on cannabis, elections and staffing changes, Confirmed Raids on Indigenous Dispensaries since Canadian legalization, Mississauga of Rice Lake Cannabis Association, Association of Canadian Cannabis Retailers, Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, North Shore Anishinabek Cannabis Association. By. The absence of civilian police oversight in First Nations communities has been well documented, most recently by Ontario Court of Appeal Justice Michael Tulloch in his 2016 review of police oversight. They said when police refused, they turned to the Six Nations Confederacy Council. It should also be noted that Indigenous women were especially heavily over-represented, comprising 44 per cent of the female cases but only 1.1 per cent of the national female population aged 15 and above. Factors such as the utilisation of police discretion on the street, over-policing, police-youth conflict and racism have been ignored (O'Connor 1994 page 210, Naffine et al 1990) although they are the very issues likely to lead to disproportionate criminalisation of Indigenous young people (Cunneen 1994). Rastafarians march for access to cannabis industry, B.C. Children as young as 10 are on a ‘secret police blacklist’ which harms Aboriginal youth, their families, and communities and is proven to not effectively combat crime, new research has revealed. Among the measures announced at a press conference Friday is funding to enable members of Indigenous police services to stay in their communities while taking specialized training courses around conjugal violence and sexual Claudianna Blanco. We received hundreds of responses about racial profiling in policing. Typical offenders include Indigenous Australians who are heavily over­ represented for the offence, and the victim is usually a police officer. If the raid and arrests had occurred outside Six Nations’ territory, Porter’s injuries would have automatically prompted an investigation by the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), which probes serious injuries and deaths involving police. For more background on this story see Dispensing Freedom’s previous coverage here. Tamar Friedman, a Toronto lawyer representing the men, said it’s not clear who was interviewed, what documents were reviewed or how the police service came to its decision. Since police dismissed the men’s complaints, the Six Nations Elected Council has signalled an intention to launch a review of both the police service and its commission, although it’s not clear if the men’s complaints about the raid played a part in that decision. 2. However, I am left feeling violated by the very people who are supposed to be safeguarding our community,” Ryan Davis wrote in a complaint to former Six Nations Police Chief Glen Lickers late last year. If the OIPRD or SIU had been investigating, the complainants would have been interviewed and there would be a detailed report explaining the process and the outcome, she said. ignoring First Nations goes far beyond cannabis: It flies in the face of established Aboriginal Rights and Title in Canada, Coalition of officers raids Benally’s hemp farms, Local marijuana dispensary hitting the market in November, Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation Chief Allan Adam, Six Nations People’s Cannabis Coalition creates interim agreement, 6 shops open, 31 more to come, Ojibway man faces ongoing harassment from UCCM police, Former national chief says First Nations leadership have ‘no authority’ over cannabis dispensaries, A dream comes true: The Ranch provides Batchewana with fresh grown food and cannabis as a medicine, Staff members beaten by Police during violent raid at Six Nations dispensary [Video], 4% of Canadian cannabis licensees Indigenous-affiliated, with systemic barriers ‘baked into system’, Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte push back on annual Cannabis Cup, detours in place on Highway 49, Canada’s cannabis pardon program is failing. If it shifts or becomes blocked it could obstruct his airway, causing him to suffocate. The three other men who were arrested say they were also roughed up and remain traumatized by the incident, especially police treatment of Porter. “And no one gets to investigate them but themselves.”. Although that may mean good news in the future, it doesn’t help the men from Six Nations. Over-policing generally results from the imposition of police control on individual or community activities at a level unlikely to occur in the dominant society. “There’s definitely been some frustration. permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com. The over-policing and jailing of Indigenous, Black and racialized people is part of that context. According to a spokesperson for the Ministry of the Solicitor General, incoming changes to Ontario’s policing legislation will create civilian police oversight of officers employed by First Nation boards that choose to opt in. United in anger, the men launched complaints about their treatment by officers — but soon realized there was nowhere to turn except the police force itself. It will also create a new oversight option called the inspector general, which will monitor and inspect police services and boards, including those in First Nations communities that have opted in. But what that looks like — whether it be an oversight body, community council, a commissioner or ombudsperson — should depend on each community’s distinct needs. The survivor of a past suicide attempt, Porter, 19, requires a tracheostomy tube to breathe. failure by not adequately recognising the different lifestyles that Indigenous young people lead. Stacia L. Loft, who served as an elected band councillor for the Tyendinaga Mohawk Council, Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte, agreed that Indigenous people negatively affected by police interactions should have access to recourse. We reduce illiteracy and poverty levels in over 1000 indigenous children and youth in La Guajira -Colombia by providing holistic education in rural schools and vulnerable communities without access to education every year. “The exclusion of First Nations policing from civilian oversight results in many First Nations communities not having access to the same oversight mechanisms as other Ontarians,” Tulloch wrote. She had recently returned to the reserve … “A lot of times, Indigenous people don’t want to come forward because they don’t want the attention, they are afraid (they’ll be) targeted even further and, sadly, they just take it,” he said. “They are investigating themselves and I fear that this incident will get dismissed, as it is not being taken seriously,” Porter wrote in a letter to the council in March. “I just want justice, and that’s something that hasn’t been on this reserve for a very long time, if ever,” said Mike Davis. In 2017, University of Queensland professor Tamara Walsh obtained data … “I am dismissing this claim that you were treated inappropriately or unlawfully when you were arrested,” Smoke wrote in a letter addressed to Ryan Davis and reviewed by the Star. By the time L was in police custody… “We also hope the (Six Nations police) will immediately start working with the Six Nations Elected Council and Hereditary Council to find new practices that will restore police legitimacy in the community, not only in the way they respond to complaints, but also in the way they police,” Friedman said. Friedman is still asking Six Nations police to allow an outside body to investigate her clients’ complaints. Dallas Porter said the Six Nations Police Service officer grabbed him and slammed him onto the ground. Other data has shown Indigenous Australians were remarkably over-policed for public nuisance offences in Queensland. His friend, Ryan Davis, was diagnosed with a concussion after he says he was punched in the head by an officer — “I remember saying, ‘Stop, you’re hurting me,’ like screaming (it),” Davis said. This is compared to 21% of non-Aboriginal children in CMAs Footnote 16, Footnote 17. “In doing this, communities will have ownership over their information, processes, decisions and outcomes.”, Published in Cannabis Activism, courts / legal, Green Cross 6N, Indigenous Cannabis Laws, Police, Prohibition and Six Nations. A major inquiry will examine the files of 250 Aboriginal children and young people in the state’s youth justice system to establish why Indigenous young people are so heavily over-represented. During the incident, Porter and four other young men — who all live on Six Nations — allege at least six officers used unjustified force while arresting them on cannabis charges. Footnote 10 At the same time, Indigenous youth accounted for 50% of custody admissions, ... including policing, the courts and in corrections has been identified as a serious issue by the Supreme Court (e.g., R v Gladue, Footnote 17 R v Wells, Footnote 18 and R v Ipeelee Footnote 19) and by several commissions of inquiry for well over 30 years. While recent sentencing amendments and Supreme Court decisions have led to a lowering of the overall jail population, the drop in Aboriginal admissions is much smaller than that of non-Aboriginal admissions. Non-Indigenous police 'over-criminalized' Cree youth in Quebec, inquiry hears . Canadians have a largely favourable view of police in their communities but Indigenous people, members of visible minority groups and younger … Many of the yo… “In doing this, communities will have ownership over their information, processes, decisions and outcomes.”, Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. Indigenous policing and reconciliation. His friend, Ryan Davis, was diagnosed with a concussion after he says he was punched in the head by an officer — “I remember saying, ‘Stop, you’re hurting me,’ like screaming (it),” Davis said. They have often been sparked by crisis and they have highlighted inequities, and sometimes gross misconduct, in relations between Indigenous Peoples and policing and justice … The survivor of a past suicide attempt, Porter, 19, requires a tracheostomy tube to breathe. His report recommended the province consider expanding the mandates of the SIU and OIPRD to include First Nations policing, “subject to the opting in of individual First Nations.”. According to Turtle Island News, the council said in May that there are several concerns about the police service, ranging from ignored emails to community complaints about a problem with the Six Nations police culture. Instead, there has been “complete lack of accountability” surrounding what she called a disturbing use of excessive force. It’s critical that he avoid lying on his stomach — precisely what he says he was forced to do by police. With no options available, the men asked Six Nations police to bring in a third party, such as an outside police service, to investigate. One suggested cause is the provocative over-policing of Indigenous people and the use of police discretion to arrest and charge, often through the use of the so-called ‘trifecta’ of charges – whereby police will approach an Indigenous person about their use of offensive language, and the abrasiveness of the confrontation will cause the situation to escalate and result in charges of resisting arrest and assaulting police. “He was bleeding all over himself and I couldn’t do anything to help him. The statistics suggest that Indigenous youth are far more likely to be charged, taken to court and refused bail than Non-Indigenous youth, who were more likely to receive a warning or caution. It’s critical that he avoid lying on his stomach — precisely what he says he was forced to do by police. Porter and his friends are hopeful the review could bring accountability and say Indigenous communities should have access to police oversight when it’s warranted. Amid a national reckoning about policing, in the wake of two recent fatal police shootings of Indigenous people in New Brunswick and the violent arrest of Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation Chief Allan Adam, the men are speaking out about what they say is a lack of accountability for police actions in their home territory. Read "Over-Policing among the Australian Indigenous Communities" by Sa Ngugi available from Rakuten Kobo. WARNING: This story contains graphic details that may disturb some readers. Lance Carr (L), a young Indigenous Australian man, was arrested for offensivelanguage. The impact of over-policing has led to a great distrust of the police by Aboriginal people. Dallas Porter said the Six Nations Police Service officer grabbed him and slammed him onto the ground. Instead, there has been “complete lack of accountability” surrounding what she called a disturbing use of excessive force. Policing services are supported through tripartite policing agreements among the federal government, provincial or territorial governments, and First Nation or Inuit communiti… The study addressed three research questions: 1. Aboriginal Australians are significantly over represented as STMP targets across five LACs. The victim of this offensive language, a policeconstable (P), hadapproached L in pursuit of some information about rocks being thrown at apassing police car. The 98% — over-policing, suicide and Aboriginal youth in the NT. 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