Ethnicity Research A Good Fit For Province

Ethnicity Research A Good Fit For Province

Wednesday, September 30, 2009 at 14:22

An official with the provincial government says it only makes sense that Saskatchewan would be the site for a pilot project meant to gather more information on Aboriginal crime.

The province volunteered for the project, which will see police attempt to identify whether people accused of a crime, and/or their victims, are Aboriginal.

David Gullickson, a senior policy analyst with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Justice, says the information could be used for building programs and policies.

Gullickson also says for this first phase of the study, approximately 25 First Nations leaders have been consulted, including representatives of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, tribal councils, First Nations, justice service providers, the Metis Nation – Saskatchewan, Metis Community Family Justice Services, and others.

He notes policing agencies do not record information about other ethnicities, but adds that decision was made by Statistics Canada.