Members of the RCMP say that, while improving relations with Indigenous residents is important to them, the system makes it difficult.
Detachment range, a lack of localized cultural training, and funding issues were all cited as roadblocks to changing the system.
RCMP members recently spoke on the issues while meeting with a legislative committee set up to reform BC’s Police Act.
Officers say that the size of their policing areas, particularly in the north, means they branch over multiple different cultures.
It is because of this that attendees say the current model of funding national or provincial cultural awareness training is not sufficient.
Instead, participants proposed providing targeted funding specific to each local area’s cultures as a more beneficial solution.
The funding model used by the RCMP can also create issues, forcing larger communities to subsidize smaller ones and mixing resources.
In addition, the need to enforce resource injunctions, often in opposition to Indigenous beliefs, can lead to tough decisions and bad press, which can be tough to overcome.
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