NAN to Continue to Advocate for Improvements to Thunder Bay Policing as New Chief Named

THUNDER BAY, ON: Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) Deputy Grand Chief Anna Betty Achneepineskum will continue to advocate for improvements to policing in Thunder Bay as veteran RCMP officer Darcy Fleury was announced today as the city’s new Chief of Police:

“Leading the Thunder Bay Police Service at this difficult time will come with an abundance of challenges. We look forward to meeting the new Chief of Police and discussing his plans to bring systemic change to the Thunder Bay Police Service.

We have taken a very strong position in terms of the implementation of the Broken Trust Report and other reports that have documented racism and dysfunction in this police service. We have a responsibility to ensure that there is a process in place to fully implement the recommendations from these expert reports, the Seven Youth Inquest, as well as our submissions to the Expert Panel.

We will continue to monitor the progress of the service and its board, and we hold out hope that things will improve for all members of this community. In the meantime, we look forward to sitting down with the new Chief with other First Nation leaders invested in ensuring accountability and transparency in the service and its officers.

We trust that the new Chief is committed to developing good relationships with the First Nations peoples of Thunder Bay. We are committed to developing a strong relationship with him and maintaining a respectful relationship with the Thunder Bay Police Services Board.”

The city’s former Police Chief retired in January while under suspension and facing charges of alleged misconduct under the Police Services Act.

In 2022, Achneepineskum and other First Nations leaders called on the Solicitor General of Ontario to dismantle the Thunder Bay Police Service following investigations by the Ontario Civilian Police Commission, the Office of the Independent Police Review Director, and complaints filed against the service with the Ontario Human Rights Commission.