Indigenous leaders demand Thunder Bay, Ont., police lose power to investigate major cases

Indigenous leaders in northern Ontario continue to press the province to take action on policing in Thunder Bay, demanding Wednesday that the police service be stripped of its authority to investigate major cases.

Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief Reg Niganobe and Nishnawbe Aski Nation deputy Grand Chief Anna Betty Achneepineskum held a morning news conference at Queen's Park, and repeated their calls for government intervention.

In recent weeks, the Thunder Bay Police Service has faced a report identifying additional Indigenous sudden death cases that were insufficiently investigated, as well as internal turmoil, with a growing number of human rights complaints filed by officers and a member of its oversight board against the force's leadership.

Niganobe said Indigenous people have lost trust in the police service and the Thunder Bay Police Services Board.

"The Thunder Bay Police Service leaves a trail of inadequate investigations, a negligently managed records system and a lack of substantive oversight," he said.

"Trust is broken, and every day the Thunder Bay Police Service remains in control of major crime investigations is another day Indigenous people are at risk in the city."

The Thunder Bay Police Services Board issued a statement Wednesday afternoon, announcing it is scheduling an emergency meeting on Saturday to address the concerns.

"Our work to transform the Thunder Bay Police Service and address the deep systemic issues is ongoing," board chair Kristen Oliver said in a statement.

"I, as Board Chair, understand more work needs to be done to rebuild our relationships with Northwestern Ontario Indigenous leaders and people.

Without trust in law enforcement from our community, the system doesn't work."

Earlier this year, Ontario Solicitor General Sylvia Jones asked the Ontario Civilian Police Commission to launch a probe into Thunder Bay police leadership and its oversight board. The OPP has confirmed it's investigating alleged criminal misconduct involving Thunder Bay police members.

There have been calls for the police service to be disbanded, and for the OPP to immediately assume oversight.

Niganobe, referencing 2018 reviews by the Office of the Independent Police Review Director and the Ontario Civilian Police Commission into the police service and the board, said expert reports have yet to lead to substantive change and concrete action is needed.

One of those reports — Broken Trust — led to the reinvestigation of 10 Indigenous sudden deaths. During that process, an additional 14 Indigenous sudden death cases between 2009 and 2016 have been recommended for re-examination.