Campaign aims to combat gang activity on Ontario First Nations
First Nation police forces in Ontario are taking a stand against growing gang-related activity and violence.
The Anishinabek Police Service is starting a new social media campaign called, 'If You See It, Report It,' to encourage those living on First Nations to report violent incidents.
“We will nip this,” Anishinabek Police Sgt. Chantal Larocque said.
“There’s a misconception that they can get away with this on Frist Nation territory because of staffing issues.”
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, police across the province say criminal activity on First Nations has been increasing. Shootings, drug abuse as well as human trafficking have all become a growing challenge.
“We have to get community members engaged in reporting stuff and the more reports we get, the more substance we get for warrants,” said Larocque.
The Anishinabek Police Service launched a new social media campaign to improve the lines of communication between police and First Nation communities.
Oftentimes, Larocque said people are reluctant to file a police report and when they do, they go about it in a way that the information can't be used by police.
“Some people are just posting what happened on social media," she said.
"You can’t make a report to the band office for police. You can’t just go and tell it for a friend. There’s a way of doing it and that’s the basis of the campaign."
When filing a police report, Larocque said the best thing to do is provide a first-hand experience of what happened.
Indigenous youth advocate Nevaeh Pine is the face of the campaign. She is passionate about advocating for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) and took it on to inspire communities not to remain silent.
“I know of people who have been scared on reserve and people have to lock their doors,” Pine said.
She recounted an incident in which she was walking with her sister on the reserve and someone in a vehicle approached her asking her where to find drugs.
“I want my kids to grow up in a place where it’s safe where we don’t have to worry about human trafficking or MMIW,” Pine said.
“Our reserves need to be more educated on this when it comes to what’s happening in our reserves and communities.”
Police hope that by uniting police agencies and communities, they can address these growing concerns.
To see more about the campaign, click here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.