Today, the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs, made the following statement in response to the Auditor General of Canada's performance audit report of the First Nations and Inuit Policing Program (FNIPP):
"We thank the Auditor General of Canada for her work and welcome the recommendations presented in her performance audit report. Indigenous communities, like all communities in Canada, should be places where people and families feel safe and secure.
We acknowledge that some elements of the program are in need of review, and are committed to doing this work collaboratively so that we can ensure dedicated, culturally responsive police services in First Nations and Inuit communities.
The findings will inform Public Safety Canada's ongoing work with First Nations and Inuit communities, provinces and territories, and law enforcement agencies, including the RCMP, to further strengthen the FNIPP. Work is also underway to co-develop legislation to recognize First Nations police services as an essential service.
Our approach will continue to be guided by a spirit of partnership that respects the constitutional division of powers which governs policing services in Canada."
