The Prince Albert Grand Council and the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations are calling for immediate action in regards to recent in-custody deaths.
Over the past few weeks, three people died while in the custody of the Prince Albert police service.
The joint statement from the PAGC and FSIN cited “grave” public concern following these deaths.
The statement is calling for immediate intervention by the Saskatchewan Police Commission and the province’s public safety minister.
“Our First Nations leadership is deeply concerned for the safety of our vulnerable people,” said FSIN Vice-Chief Dutch Lerat in the statement. “These in-custody deaths have raised serious concerns regarding the competence of the Prince Albert Police Service and their ability to serve the broader community in general. Equally concerning is the lack of transparency and public accountability. The police service is not being open about these incidents and the victims’ families and communities deserve answers.”
The statement also says the two organizations are seeking answers from the Saskatchewan Health Authority about the care of people struggling with addiction or other health conditions while in police custody.
“This latest loss of life is very troubling since we raised these concerns just over a week ago,” said PAGC Grand Chief Brian Hardlotte in the joint statement. “It is clear that recommendations from past public inquests have not been taken seriously by neither the PAPS nor the SHA. We will not wait two years or more for more recommendations from yet another public inquiry. As we can see, time is not on our side — drastic changes need to happen now.”
Following the third in-custody death earlier this the Prince Albert Police Service put out a statement saying they were committed to transparency.