A new report on First Nations policing suggests the province is not doing enough to protect officers.
The report for the Chiefs of Ontario finds that three-quarters of First Nations officers have experienced a mental health issue while on the job.
More than a quarter admitted to having ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’ mental health in the six months before the survey.
Author Meredith Brown says First Nations policing is significantly underfunded, with staffing woefully insufficient, resulting in many officers regularly working their shifts alone.
“When I say alone, I don’t just mean alone in a car with other officers on the road somewhere, I mean entirely alone. The only one working in the community. This is an absolute harm to the mental health of officers,” says Brown.
Brown says municipal and provincial policing services generally have at least six officers on staff, each other can rely on for back-up.
She found staffing levels at First Nations policing services operating with as few as two officers during a shift.
“From a mental health perspective, the reality of answering every call alone, not knowing what may be there and knowing there’s no one else behind you, is a significant harm to mental health. It creates a sort of a level of hypervigilance and fear that’s well documented.”
The report also found a lack of career opportunities and inadequate mental health supports that also contribute to poor mental health outcomes.
“The number of First Nations officers who are facing serious mental health challenges is deeply concerning,” states Ontario Regional Chief Abram Benedict.
“Our officers are frequently forced to respond to calls alone and deal with difficult outcomes on their own. This is often due to an utter lack of support. First Nations officers deserve to be treated the same as any other officer in this province, with the same level of support.”
The report makes 14 recommendations, including increasing staffing levels and job security, improved training and advancement opportunities and developing culturally based wellness supports.
