Sitansisk First Nation eager for plan tapping police to enforce band council bylaws

For the first time in years, the Fredericton Police Force has set up shop in a Wolastoqey community that's within the city's municipal boundary, but functions as an enclave with its own identity, laws and governing body.

Sitansisk First Nation is welcoming the force's new satellite office on Cliffe Street, where two police officers are already stationed out of, along with space for a social worker who's set to be hired later this year.

But while the community's leader praised the force for improving its relationship with Sitansisk, Chief Allan Polchies says a sticking point remains over its reluctance to enforce the First Nation's band council bylaws — particularly those aimed at banishing "undesirable" people from the community.

"It will solve all kinds of issues if there are delinquents coming in, if they're, you know, being disorderly, if they're ... bringing toxins into our community. We'd get rid of them."

In a province where the RCMP typically serves as the police of jurisdiction for First Nation communities, Sitansisk — also known as St. Mary's — is unique in that it's the only one served by a municipal police force.

That agreement was first inked decades ago through an arrangement that sees Sitansisk, the province and the federal government pay the city for the resources involved in policing the community.

The latest agreement, signed in 2023, required the force to assign two police officers and a social worker specifically to Sitansisk.

It also required they be physically stationed in the community, said Fredericton police Insp. Bobbi Simmons-Beauchamp, who oversees the force's integrated community services branch.

"So it provides us proximity to the community, which is great, but it also provides a space where people can come and get to know us on a different level," she said.

"One of the great things that our officers that are working there right now are doing is they're really demonstrating the fact that they're interested in building these relationships, having these connections."

While Simmons-Beauchamp believes the police force has made strides in its relationship with Sitansisk, she said she also recognizes there have been limits.

That includes when it comes to enforcing bylaws that have been enacted by Sitansisk's chief and council.

"There have been times ... that we've responded to the community when we haven't been able to do exactly what the community wanted," she said.

"And only that's because we didn't have the jurisdiction or authority to do that."