Indigenous police on Manitoulin Island creating first full-time drug enforcement unit
The United Chiefs and Councils of Manitoulin Anishnaabe Police announced Monday it is creating its first full-time drug enforcement unit on the island.
An undated photo of an UCCM Anishnaabe Police vehicle. (File photo/Supplied/UCCM Anishnaabe Police)
The unit will focus on combatting organized crime and drug and human trafficking.
"Since 2021, UCCM Anishnaabe Police’s drug enforcement investigations have resulted in 85 people being charged with over 363 criminal and drug offences and the seizure of illegal and prescription drugs with a street value over $854,000," police said in a news release.
"Twenty-two of the individuals charged with drug offences by UCCM Anishnaabe Police since 2021 were from the Greater Toronto Area (GTA)."
Derek Assiniwe, the chair of the UCCM Police Service Commission, said residents have been asking for help in keeping drugs out of the community.
"A full-time drug unit on Manitoulin Island will make the communities we serve, and all communities on the Island, safer,” said Police Chief James Killeen.
"Drug activity is not limited to our communities. It crosses municipal borders and is connected to drug and gang activity throughout Ontario."
The prohibition on specialized Indigenous police services was lifted in June 2023 by former Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino paving the way for the new unit.
"We have been fighting to change the discriminatory terms and conditions of our funding, which prevented us from creating specialized units," Assinewe said.
"Now that we’ve gotten some changes from the federal government, we can take this important step to make Manitoulin Island a safer, better place.”
The new unit will start with five full-time officers and the UCCM Anishinaabe Police is looking both internally and externally to fill those positions.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
The Indian couple killed in a wrong-way police chase crash on Highway 401 earlier this week has been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
2 charged after police find 'concerning and diverse' explosives at Manitoba home
Winnipeg police say they have arrested two people in their 20s after a large amount of explosives were found in a home outside of Winnipeg, Man.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Spain abolishes national bullfighting award in cultural shift
Spain scrapped an annual bullfighting award on Friday, prompting a rebuke from conservatives over a backlash against a centuries-old tradition they see as an art form but which has run into growing concern for animal welfare.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.