‘If you see it, report it’ says APS Sergeant Larocque
By Jesse Johnson and Marci Becking
SAULT STE. MARIE – Anishinabek Police Services (APS) sent Sergeant Chantal Larocque from the Nipissing detachment to deliver the keynote address on Day 1 of the Nimaajii-toomin Maamwii (We are on this Journey Together) Health Conference held on October 22-24 in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.
“One of the biggest complaints in First Nations is the drug problem,” says Sergeant Larocque. “No one in the room can say they don’t have a drug issue in their community – in a First Nation or not. All communities have an epidemic.”
The Anishinabek Police Service supports 16 Anishinabek communities. They currently have 92 officers and 32 civilians. Some positions include a human trafficking detective; a crime unit/intelligent detectives; a recruitment/media officer; a crime analyst (human trafficking); and, a Drug Enforcement Unit is currently underway. She explains there are challenges with staffing, support services, geography, mental health, and the lack of funding APS experiences compared to other jurisdictions in Ontario. There could be one officer covering three First Nations at any given time.
“It’s hard to do surveillance because within two minutes of me being in a community, everyone knows that I’m there and who I am. Writing warrants is a lot of work. The courts have zero empathy for the challenges in Indigenous policing. We have the same requirements that off-reserve have, but we don’t have the same resources to do the work,” Sergeant Larocque expresses. “We had to fight the government so that we could have Specialty Units. We were not allowed to have them. That was a part of our Tripartite Agreement.”
Sergeant Larocque’s message to the health care workers at the conference is that facing the drug issues in the community is a team effort.
“It can’t just be the police. We have to work together to eradicate the drugs from the First Nations. If you see something, call right away. Grab the plate number. Outside gangs are taking advantage of First Nations people. They hook up with a First Nation female who is most likely being trafficked, take over her house and sell drugs out of it. They know that First Nations people don’t like ratting out people. People on the rez hate calling dispatcher or they think that snitches get stitches. If you see it, report it. They aren’t your family. Call the hotline 1-888-310-1122. Do not text me, the Chief, or call the band office. Call the hotline. If it’s an emergency, dial 9-1-1.”
She notes that since they got on social media, they have been showing photos of traffic stops and the drug busts. They have also done a lot of outreach through their videos with youth, the Little NHL, and recruiting; however, cautions parents to ensure safety.
“A big piece of advice for parents: do not charge phones in your children’s or teen’s bedrooms at night. Charge them elsewhere. You don’t know what’s going on with the phones. There is bullying on social media, they are taking photos of their bodies. Keep the phones out of their bedrooms.”
APS can support our Elders from abuse as well.
“If you start seeing financial abuse, it’s really important that you report it. Have a Power of Attorney for finances and another for health. We can freeze bank accounts if we suspect things are going on,” says Sergeant Larocque.
She also acknowledges that the uniform can be intimidating, and people have PTSD from seeing her.
“Personally, I have done everything to remove that fear from the uniform. I’ve been to calls where I’ve seen children’s fear level go down because ‘It’s just Chantal’. It’s intimidating when I put on the uniform.”
The Anishinabek Police Services is funded 52 per cent federal and 48 per cent provincial and meets provincial standards. They’ve recently had more cultural supports for mental and spiritual health.
“Chief Skye has pushed cultural services for PTSD – horse therapy, etc. We negotiated $13,000 per member for psychological services, which works out to one a session a week. We started more ceremony with George Couchie. We have access to ceremony. For everyone it’s different. Personally, I loved going to the schools with the kids and grounding myself that way.”
Larocque also showed a fun recruitment video out of Fort William First Nation and they are looking for members to join APS to police in First Nations.
If you have an emergency, call 1-888-310-1122. In the future:
– Don’t send text messages to officers;
– Don’t call the Chief for police-related issues;
– Don’t wait to call;
– Don’t assume it’s already been reported;
– Reporting does not mean you’re a rat, it’s loving your community; and,
– Snitches don’t get stitches, they get rewarded.
For more information on the 10th annual Anishinabek Nation Health Conference, please visit anishinabek.ca.