Parliamentary Committee Notes: Office of the Auditor General of Canada’s Report 3 – First Nations and Inuit Policing Program
Proposed Response
Public Safety Canada welcomes this audit report.
- Since 1991, the First Nations and Inuit Policing Program has provided cost-matched funding to support access to dedicated, culturally responsive policing services in First Nations and Inuit communities.
- The Government of Canada recognizes that it needs to do better. The recommendations come at a fitting time, as Public Safety Canada has been exploring ways to improve the FNIPP in collaboration with provinces and territories and First Nations and Inuit communities.
If Pressed
- Public Safety officials are already engaging with key partners to develop a path forward and to develop a detailed action plan that will address the recommendations outlined by the Office of the Auditor General.
Background
March 2024 Auditor General Report’s on the FNIPP
The Office of the Auditor General (OAG) tabled a report on the FNIPP in March 2024 which, among other things, is critical of Public Safety of Canada (PS) financial management of the program and found that the department as well as the RCMP did not work in partnership with Indigenous communities to provide equitable access to the Program.
PS is working actively with various partners to strengthen federal funding supports for safer Indigenous communities in a manner that respects the jurisdiction of provinces and territories over policing. The audit findings are informing PS’s ongoing collaboration and partnership with provinces and territories, law enforcement agencies - including the RCMP - as well as First Nations and Inuit communities to strengthen the strategic focus and measurable impact of FNIPP initiatives.
OAG Recommendations
The OAG made the following recommendations:
3.48 Given the long-standing issues with the First Nations and Inuit Policing Program, and given the federal government’s commitment to truth and reconciliation, Public Safety Canada should work with First Nations and Inuit communities, the provinces and territories, and the RCMP to develop and implement a renewed approach to the program. This approach should include:
- updating the 1996 First Nations Policing Policy.
- immediately revising the current funding allocation process so that it allows for the timely funding to recipients, the disbursement of program funds, and the achievement of the department’s commitment to equitable funding. The revision should take into account the timing of provincial and territorial funding as well as solutions to disburse federal funds available when provinces and territories are unable to secure their share of the funding.
- developing a mechanism to track the interest, needs, and demand for the program by jurisdiction. The information collected should be used to inform future funding requests and equitable allocation for the program.
- working in partnership with program recipients in a consistent and meaningful manner. Engagement by department officials should be supported by monitoring and feedback, mandatory cultural training, and guidance on the nature, timing, frequency, and expected measurable outcomes of engagement.
- updating performance measurement and reporting so that the department, provinces and territories, and First Nations and Inuit communities know whether the program is achieving its intended results and outcomes and so that the department can make adjustments as needed. This approach should be culturally sensitive and include collecting, monitoring, analyzing, and reporting performance data that is distinction‑based and intersectional.
3.58 Public Safety Canada and the RCMP, in collaboration with First Nations and Inuit communities and with provinces and territories, should collaborate before new and renewed community tripartite agreements are signed to determine what is possible to offer to communities on the basis of resource capacity.
Action Plan
The Indigenous Affairs Branch within PS is leading the drafting of the preliminary action plan to address the OAG recommendations.
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