b'are suffering from burnout or severeAs Indigenous people that havefederal levels means that Indigenous mental health issues. ahistoryand[knowledgeof]thepolice leaders have to be optimistic. The Facts colonialimpactsofasystemthatsThesearegreatsteps,and been forced upon them, and havingthese steps are being embraced by Indigenous policing issues are a topto police a community with a systemIndigenousleadersandIndigenous community safety issue not just forthat provided the oppression, how dopolitical bodies because it is a move Indigenouspoliceleadersandtheiryou make it attractive for a personintherightdirection,becauseit communities, but for all police lead- that may be faced with intergener- allows services to access resources to ers,saysChiefNishanDuraiappah,ationaltraumabecauseofthatdevelopprogrammingandcapacity ChairoftheOACPAnti-Racismsystem? asks Chief Morrison. This is atodeliveroncorefunctions,says WorkingGroupandOACPPresidentcommon challenge for all police ser- Chief Morrison.for 2022-2023. vices, including the nine standalone ThereisadiscernibleshiftinIndigenous police services in Ontario. DeputyChiefSkyenotesthat policing when it comes to recognizingSimilartoothercommunities,Indigenouspoliceservicesarenow that,withoutreallyaddressingtheIndigenous communities are experi- actively seeking equity when it comes issues and needs of Indigenous policeencing a lack of trust and confidencetothingslikewagesandpensions services, we cannot really tackle theinpolicing,includingthesentimentwithinIndigenouspoliceservices issues holding us all back from realthattheyarebeingincreasinglyby using tools such as human rights changewhenitcomestorootingpoliced by officers they call curtaincomplaints to address inequities.outsystemicracism,saysChiefcops;officerspolicingIndigenousIndigenousofficersareonly Duraiappah.Ifwereallywanttocommunitiesareperceivedaslessasking for equality, which is no dif-have more responsive and represent- engaged in community life, and onceferent than any other police service ative police organizations, supportingtheir shifts end, these officers return just to be equal. And its so difficult positivechangesforIndigenoustotheiremployer-suppliedhousingwhen I think our funders and our gov-police services must be a priority foranddrawthecurtains,effectivelyernments dont understand that, but all police leaders.isolating themselves from the peopleyettheyhaveequitabletreatment Indigenous people and commun- theypolice(Jonesetal.,2019).Inin their governments, their employ-itieshaveuniquepolicingneeds.fact,astudyofRCMPofficersinment, says Deputy Chief Skye.Canadas colonial history includes theIndigenous communities by LeuprechtRecommendationsforpositive displacementandforcedrelocation(2017)concludedthat,inremotechanges to policing Indigenous com-ofmanyIndigenouspeoplesfromareas,mostpeoplefiguretheyaremunitiesregardless of what service their traditional lands and a loss ofjust there to put in their time, savedeliverspolicingarecontained culture.ProgressinCanadahassomemoney,buteventuallyapplyincountlessreportsfrommultiple often meant that Indigenous peoplesfor a promotion and leave (p. 28). inquiries, including Reclaiming Power havebecomefurthermarginalized.The Future andPlace:TheFinalReportofthe RelationsbetweenIndigenousNationalInquiryintoMissingand peoples and police have often beenWhilethechallengesidentifiedinMurderedIndigenousWomenand characterizedbymutualsuspicion,2005largelyremaintobesolved,Girls(NationalInquiryintoMissing hostilityanddiscrimination(Parentthere is progress, according to ChiefandMurderedIndigenousWomen and Parent, 2018). These are hard butMorrison.Ithinktheresbeenaand Girls, 2019), Perceptions of and important facts to acknowledge. lotofeducationthatshappeningExperienceswithPoliceandthe IndigenouspeoplesinNorth[inpolicingandgovernments],andJustice System Among the Black and AmericahavetraditionallybeenthathastocontinueintermsofIndigenousPopulationsinCanada reluctant to pursue law enforcementwhatIndigenouspolicingisabout,(Kotter, 2022) and Joining the Circle: careers due to negative past experi- he says. IdentifyingKeyIngredientsfor ences. The roots of this reluctance areChief Morrison believes that issuesEffective Police Collaboration within groundedinsuchissuesascoloni- around the crime severity and violentIndigenousCommunities(Nilson& alism,disproportionatepovertyforcrimethathappensinIndigenousMantello, 2019). Indigenous peoples, poor health-carecommunities as a result of colonial-services, and discrimination in edu- ism and intergenerational trauma will cation, employment earnings, accesscontinue to be major challenges forJose Luis (Joe) Couto is the Director to credit and criminal justice (where,Indigenouscommunities.However,of Government Relations and for example, Indigenous people arethegoodmovementthatsbeenCommunications for the Ontario overrepresentedinincarcerationoccurringintermsoflegislationAssociation of Chiefs of Police. He can be institutions) (Bailey et al., 2017). developments at the provincial andreached at jcouto@oacp.ca.The Official Publication of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police9'