Aboriginal police bridge cultural gap

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Two months ago the Metropolitan Toronto Police launched Canada's first Aboriginal peacekeeping unit aimed at bridging the gap with the city's Native community. Today, their message is being heard by more than 60,000 Native people living in this urban reserve.

Sgts. Clay Mitchell, Bob Crawford and Const. Bill Williams, all veteran officers with the force, make up the unit. As Native officers, their mission is to deliver police service to the Aboriginal community, a service sensitive to the existing and emerging needs of that community. For now they are concentrating on education within the police force, and with becoming a familiar and trusted sight within the Native community.

"We have a Native culture and we have a police culture," said Williams from the unit's office on the first floor of police headquarters. "Neither one knows a great deal about the other so what we're trying to do is inform both sides about their cultural differences."

Twice a month the members of the unit spend four hours instructing other officers on the history of the Aboriginal community.

The training just touches on sensitizing police officers in the field about Native culture, Native history, native spirituality," said Williams. "It's well received, but it's hard to cram a whole culture into four hours. We'd like to have more time, maybe a day for each group."

Crawford, an Algonquin from Golden Lake, near Ottawa, has served as the police force's liaison to Metro's Native community for three years. Since then he was joined by Mitchell, who is part Algonquin and part Mohawk, and Williams, who was born in Toronto and is of Ojibway descent. The unit was officially launched in April, making them distinct within the 5,700 member force, which includes 17 Native officers.

Over the last month the unit had 60 people drop in from the Native community, some wanting to know how to access services and some just to talk. Williams takes this response as an indication they are getting through to the community.

"People coming to the city to see the bright lights, or looking for a better way of life shouldn't be afraid to contact us about anything," he said. "If they have a question about directors or if they're looking for a friend or if they just want to say hello, don't hesitate to call us, we've got all sorts of contacts."

Michelle Murphy, executive director of Toronto's Native Women's Resource Centre had nothing but praise for the Aboriginal Unit.

"They're doing a lot of positive work," she said. "They're changing the image of police as far as the women here go. A lot of them were very frightened of police and the whole image that they set and these men have really been able to turn that around. It's made a big difference. They're very visual and they don't wear uniforms and that makes people more comfortable."

Murphy said there's a lot of room for improvement in relations between the Aboriginal community and police. The unit can help dispel misconceptions and mistrust the two communities have for each other, she said.

Reva Jewell, executive director of Council Fire, a friendship centre in Toronto, said she wants more information about the unit before she makes a decision on their impact on community.

"When you think of police you think they're there to arrest people and that kind of thing," said Jewell. "We've had a workshop with them and they made us aware of other things that are available through them."

"But I'm not sure - it's too new. What's in the back of my mind is that they still have to answer to the mainstream police. Although they are Native and they are liaison-ing with the Native community, they're still police."

Jewell said she's concerned with the confidentiality of information exchanged between the unit and the Native community.

"You tend to feel more at ease with them because they are Native, and you might think that what you talk to them about will be kept confidential, but officially speaking they still have to mae reports."

Meanwhile the three officers are kept busy with speaking engagements at various Native agencies. There are plans underway for a drop-in centre that would act as a satellite for their main office, and they have also launched a youth police mentor program that sees many of the Native officers on the force working with native youth to expose them to police in a positive way.

Crawford designed the Aboriginal Peacekeeping Unit logo which includes an eagle to keep watch with its powerful wings surrounding the insignia of the Police Force and an Aboriginal person in a protective gesture, and three feathers representing the strength of mind, body and spirit.