First tribal police force in province to be established

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In addition to the chiefs from the five First Nations which comprise File Hills Agency, there will soon be another - the chief of police.

The agency's police management board is sorting through submitted resumes to hire the first chief of police for the File Hills Police Service, said File Hills Agency executive director Art Walker.

To be hired by June, the police chief will be the first in what is to be a seven-person police force to be established over the next three to five years.

"We want a First Nations police service in order to provide a better service and a closer relationship between law enforcement agencies and our people," Walker said. "We had done a survey of File Hills members, and they said they wanted their own tribal police force, which would be answerable to the community."

The new police chief should start work in late May or early June, just as soon as the agency and the province clear the final details in establishing the police force. The five reserves are currently policed by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police detachment in Balcarres.

The police force expects to recruit officers who are either currently working for police services or who are attending police colleges. While the Agency hopes they can recruit Aboriginal police officers, they will welcome applications from anyone of any background who can meet the qualifications, he added.

While this will be the first tribal police force in Saskatchewan, this province is the last to see the creation of a tribal police force, Walker said.

"This has been done for years in other provinces, such as Ontario."

But the File Hills Police Service won't be the last tribal police force in the province, he predicted.

"We know for a fact that other First Nations in Saskatchewan are interested in doing what we're doing."

While the new police force will answer to the File Hills Agency, it will also follow regulations and guidelines of the Saskatchewan Police Commission. In addition, the new tribal police force will work with the RCMP on major crimes or searches on the reserve.

"In some cases, where they are required, the RCMP have tracking dogs and helicopters - stuff that smaller police forces can't afford to have."

The File Hills Agencies are an alliance of the Peepeekisis, Okanese, Little Black Bear, Star Blanket, and Carry the Kettle First Nations.