UCCM Anishnaabe Police creating drug enforcement unit after federal ruling paves way

A small, Indigenous police service on Manitoulin Island is taking a huge step to bring drug trafficking under control in six communities.

The United Chiefs and Councils of Manitoulin (UCCM) Anishnaabe Police is creating a dedicated drug enforcement unit; a historic step for Indigenous police services after a court ruling last June.

Until that ruling, Indigenous police services were restricted by Canada under the First Nations and Inuit Policing Act from creating specialized investigative units.

The ruling by Justice Denis Gascon extended funding to three Indigenous police services, including UCCM Anishnaabe Police, which were appealing the restrictions as a condition of their funding.

Then Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino lifted the ban on creating specialized units.

UCCM Anishnaabe Police Chief James Killeen says a survey of people in Whitefish River First Nation, Aundeck Omni Kaning, M'Chigeeng, Sheguiandah, Zhiibaahaasing and Sheshegwaning found 85 per cent felt a drug unit should be a priority for police.

Killeen said historically, UCCM Anishnaabe Police's drug enforcement efforts have relied on frontline patrol officers.

Despite that, since 2021 when he became chief, officers have arrested 85 individuals, laid more than 363 criminal and drug offences, and seized drugs valued at more than $854,000.

He said 22 of the 85 people charged were from the Greater Toronto Area, and had ties to  organized crime and gangs. 

Killeen said traffickers can get a much higher price for their drugs on Manitoulin Island than they can in the Greater Toronto area, as well as realizing police resources are thinner.

"They're very well aware that there's less concentration on them here and they're easily able to intimidate people in our area with a level of violence they have not experienced before," noted Killeen, saying there have been two drug-related homicides in three years.

I do not believe that there is any way that the federal government would ever go back now and say that we no longer need this.- UCCM Anishnaabe Police Chief, James Killeen

He said he's looking to hire a detective sergeant and five detective constables for the inaugural drug unit, which he admitted is going to be difficult considering the challenges faced by all police services across the country.

He said they'll get intensive training and work co-operatively with the OPP, Greater Sudbury and Toronto Police services to bring drug traffickers to justice.

He said it's a positive step that he thinks cannot be undone, even though the emergency funding agreement will end in a matter of weeks and the case returns to court next June as their lawyer seeks another extension.

Police services return to court in June

"I do not believe that there is any way that the federal government would ever go back now and say that we no longer need this," said Killeen. "We have proven already in court why we need this." 

He said it's a matter of equality for First Nations to have adequate and properly funded police services.

"We deserve the same, if not more, of a level of safety and security within our communities, and this is just one small step to bring us into that equality for policing and for our communities across Manitoulin Island," he said.

CBC reached out to the federal department of Public Safety for comment but did not receive a response by deadline.