Chief Of Beleaguered Tribal Police Answers Critics

Chief Of Beleaguered Tribal Police Answers Critics

Friday, September 07, 2007 at 15:31

 

 

The chief of the File Hills First Nations Police Service says all steps are being taken to make sure complaints regarding the conduct of its officers are investigated.

 

The police force has been in existence since 2000 and services several First Nations, including Peepeekisis, Little Black Bear, Starblanket, Okanese and Carry the Kettle.

 

This week, reports surfaced on CBC Radio claiming a man had his arm broken while in custody, and that officers dropped the ball on a domestic dispute which resulted in a death.

 

Police chief Ralph Martin confirms a man with a broken arm was in their custody.

 

But he says the man didn’t necessarily suffer the injury at the hands of his officers, and notes the matter is still being investigated by the Public Complaints Commission.

 

Martin also says the other complaint about the domestic dispute was already investigated before he joined the force in June of last year.

 

However, he admits officers made mistakes in the follow-up to that case when they mailed tissue samples of a deceased woman to her mother.

 

Martin says he has already apologized for that and is preparing to write a letter to the family.

 

He stresses his officers are human and that new policies and procedures are being worked on.