The Executive of the First Nations Chiefs of Police Association (FNCPA) met with the Honourable Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Crown—Indigenous Relations, the Honourable Ruby Sahota, and Tricia Geddes, Deputy Minister of Public Safety Canada, to address critical issues affecting First Nations policing across Canada. The discussion acknowledged both the progress made and the significant challenges that remain, underscoring the urgent need for strategic reforms.
A central topic was the recognition of First Nations policing as an “essential service.” Despite decades of advocacy, legal, bureaucratic, and funding barriers continue to prevent this long-overdue designation. Representing more than 150 communities and 36 stand-alone First Nations police services, the FNCPA emphasized the essential role these agencies play in safeguarding community well-being, national security, and public trust—particularly in remote and rural areas, border regions, and communities impacted by organized crime.
The FNCPA highlighted how short-term policing agreements create operational instability, limit the creation of specialized units such as drug enforcement, victim services, and major crime investigation, and leave officers in a state of uncertainty. Chronic underfunding, ongoing recruitment and retention challenges, the loss of trained officers to better-funded agencies, and the lack of competitive pension plans and subsidized training continue to erode service capacity.
Such funding arrangements perpetuate disparities in pay, resources, and capabilities compared to mainstream policing services, threatening the long-term viability of First Nations police agencies. Still, there is optimism as efforts progress toward advancing First Nations self-determination through modern treaties and legislative reforms, enabling communities to create and enforce their own laws in line with their traditions and governance systems.
The FNCPA remains steadfast in its call for parity with mainstream policing, long-term sustainable funding, and respect for Indigenous sovereignty in law enforcement. The Association sees the upcoming fall meetings as a pivotal opportunity to advance essential service legislation and secure the future of stand-alone First Nations policing.