Missing persons task force struck

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The Saskatchewan government has announced funding for a task force to help solve missing persons cases in the province.

The funding-just under $2 million over the next three years-was announced by provincial Justice Minister Frank Quennell on Nov. 21.

A portion of the money will be used to hire more police officers to work specifically on missing persons cases. Six new RCMP positions will be funded, two in the violent crime analysis section and four in the historical crime unit. The Regina and Saskatoon police services will each receive funding to hire one new officer to work on missing persons cases.

As part of the task force mandate, the Saskatchewan Police Commission will work to develop, in consultation with police, Aboriginal leaders, communities and other agencies, standardized policies and procedures for investigation of missing persons cases, while the province works to strengthen partnerships among government, police, Aboriginal organizations and community groups in an effort to support families and communities when people are reported missing and to create a network for the sharing of information about missing persons cases.

The announcement that a missing persons task force would be struck was good news to organizations like the Saskatchewan Aboriginal Women's Circle Corporation (SAWCC), the Saskatchewan arm of the Native Women's Association of Canada.

"We were very pleased with it because it's something that's been needed for a long time," said SAWCC vice-president Judy Hughes. The organization hopes that, while the task force will focus on all missing people in Saskatchewan, it will also bring a higher profile to investigations involving Aboriginal women who have gone missing or been murdered in Saskatchewan over the years.

"The reason that this task force came about was because of the disappearance of Tamra Keepness, and then the number of women that have followed after she's gone missing." Hughes said. "So I think it highlights for us the number of Aboriginal women and girls that are going missing and that's what's significant about this."

Keepness was five years old when she disappeared from her family home in Regina on July 5, 2004. Her name is just one in a growing list of Aboriginal women who have gone missing in Saskatchewan. Darlene Bosse (Muskego) was last seen by her family in Saskatoon on May 16, 2004. Amber Tara-Lynn Redman was last seen in Fort Qu'Appelle on July 16, 2005. Melanie Dawn Geddes was last seen in Regina on Aug. 13, 2005. Allyson Bell was last seen in Regina on Sept. 6, 2005.

As with many government announcements, there is some skepticism as to whether the proposed task force will deliver what's been promised, but Hughes is optimistic.

"I'm hoping that it will certainly go ahead and that we can all work together," she said.

"It certainly gives Saskatchewan an opportunity to take a significant leadership role in this ... Premier (Lorne) Calvert has put his words into action and I think that's very important and we certainly look forward to working with him and the other agencies that will be involved."

In addition to the task force announcement, efforts to draw more attention to violence perpetrated against Aboriginal women have seen success on other fronts as well, Hughes explained. NWAC has recently received funding for its Sisters in Spirit campaign designed to publicize and address the high rates of violence against Aboriginal women in Canada. SAWCC held the launch of the Saskatchewan portion of the campaign in Saskatoon on Dec. 10.

The issue was also raised by NWAC president Beverley Jacobs at the First Ministers Conference held in Kelowna on Nov. 25 and 26 and Status of Women Canada is planning a national forum on violence against Aboriginal women in the spring of 2006.