Parties from the Siksika First Nation and the Government of Alberta signed a memorandum of understanding for the development of a new local police service on July 18.<\/p>\n
Siksika Nation once had its own police service that ran from 1992-2002, but the tripartite agreement that established the organization wasn\u2019t renewed and the force disbanded. The RCMP detachment in Gleichen has been policing in Siksika since 2002.<\/p>\n
Tyler Shandro, minister of justice and solicitor general, says the signing comes with an understanding towards establishing a police force that has been needed for many years to help improve public safety in the Siksika First Nation community.<\/p>\n
The idea of the new police service has been discussed over the past several years, along with hiring a firm to conduct a feasibility study. The provincial government contributed $30,000 dollars toward the study, which was a third of the cost.<\/p>\n
Since the study was conducted a few years ago, Siksika Nation has done additional research on establishing the self-administered police service. However, the nation can\u2019t move forward under the First Nations and Inuit Policing Program, due to the federal government freezing the program while conducting a review.<\/p>\n
Shandro says that this is a community needing action now to combat the community\u2019s crime rate which is higher than the provincial average.<\/p>\n
Chief Ouray Crowfoot of the Siksika First Nation says that there is nothing equitable about not having a police force in a community with 8,000 residents when a nearby hamlet of less than 200 has a police force of 24 officers.<\/p>\n
Recent studies have shown that 85 percent of the calls to the RCMP in Gleichen are Siksika-related, Crowfoot says, adding that without a police force that is in the nation, that knows the community and the roads well, response times can be impacted when situations are sometimes critical.<\/p>\n
The chief says that there is a desire to build a mutually-beneficial relationship that helps keep the community safe in Siksika.<\/p>\n
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