LEAD PRESENTATION CAPB CONFERENCE 2005 Dr. Bill Beahen, Program - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

LEAD PRESENTATION CAPB CONFERENCE 2005 Dr. Bill Beahen, Program Director & Sergeant Ron Johansson, Steering Committee Law Enforcement Aboriginal Diversity Network Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police

2 WHAT IS LEAD? • The Law Enforcement Aboriginal and Diversity (LEAD) network is a group of police services across Canada dedicated to raising the bar on how we consult with, and serve Aboriginal and Diverse communities.

3 LEAD NETWORK – ACTING & EVOLVING Within the last two years the Law Enforcement Aboriginal and Diversity (LEAD) Network developed as a supported program of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) seeking long term resources. This year the program is resourced and in action and evolving with emerging challenges.

4 Organization of LEAD • LEAD Steering Committee, along with the CACP Executive Director, forms the management team with the latter reporting to CACP Board of Directors. • LEAD Program Director, the sole full-time resource for LEAD, is directed by the management team and is accountable to deliver on objectives. • A Working Group of police officers from across Canada reports to the LEAD Program Director and must speak for and deliver outcomes of LEAD program to frontline officers.

5 Five Year Plan December 1, 2004 to November 30, 2009 • Action plan covers the building of the network, training, recruitment, community consultation, engagement of governments at four levels. • Projected budget for LEAD is $2,212,700 over five years. • Early funding will be heavily weighted on federal government side (Canadian Heritage - Multiculturalism $1,150,000), shifting later to other levels of government and police services support. • Support from police services in kind and memberships based on per capita financial contributions (similar to Australian model).

6 Vancouver Launch of LEAD March 2005 Complementary launches of LEAD – for the news media and with communities: • On March 29, LEAD received its official launch with a news conference at the HQ of Vancouver Police Department • Hon. Raymond Chan, Minister of State (Multiculturalism), characterized LEAD as the essential program within the federal government’s multi-agency Anti-Racism Action Plan • Community launch was held at the India Cultural Centre in Richmond B.C. • Representatives of the LEAD network and communities met, shared food, talked and listened. • In the formal part of the ceremony prayers were offered by our Sikh hosts and by Chief Leonard George of the Burrard First Nation.

7 Vancouver Launch Chief Edgar MacLeod, President of CACP, pledged that LEAD would encourage and support the professionalism and the commitment of all Police Services to instill cultural competency in their officers. The community LEAD launch on March 31 was a celebration with Aboriginal and ethnocultural communities. • In simple eloquence, Chief George took from nature the model which Canadians must embrace and LEAD must foster. He compared Canada to a forest in which the various flora, from the most simple moss to the grandest trees, seem to exist independent of one another, but actually thrive in an intricate web of interdependence for mutual sustenance.

8 LEAD IN PROGRESS • With these events, the Law Enforcement Aboriginal and Diversity Network is fully launched, with adequate funding and support from Multiculturalism and law enforcement to forward this program on a sustainable basis. Concrete and measurable initiatives are being created. • An important juncture and checkpoint will be a significant Aboriginal and Diversity Conference in Ontario in Spring 2006 which will be hosted by the OPP, RCMP, Toronto Police Service and First Nations Chiefs of Police, supported by the Multiculturalism Program of the Department of Canadian Heritage (DCH).

9 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS – INTERSECTIONS • National Chief Phil Fontaine AFN agrees to endorse LEAD – FNCPA on board • Geoff Gruson and Canadian Police Sector Council (CPSC) – LEAD’s role • Racial profiling • Developing and servicing the Network • Working in coordination with CACP Cttes

10 ASSEMBLY OF FIRST NATIONS & LEAD National Grand Chief Phil Fontaine endorses LEAD, congratulating CACP on this program. Following a recent meeting with LEAD officials, Phil Fontaine issued a communique, full text distributed, saying : • Agrees with the approach, mission and objectives for improved relations with Aboriginal and ethnocultural communities.

11 AFN’s ENDORSEMENT • Impressed by the sincerity of members of LEAD and that they seek answers in cooperation with communities. • Already sensed a change in atmosphere from previous fear and suspicion to resolving issues through honour and respect. • Wants to be part of the process.

12 LEAD & Police Services Council LEAD is working with CPSC to update the sector needs study from 2000 to 2005. LEAD and CPSC share the same objectives with regard to all HR issues as they impact Aboriginal and Diversity challenges. Integration of resources and possible structure are being examined.

13 The Racial Profiling Issue Bias-free policing, racially biased policing or racial profiling – call it what you want – is a hot issue in Canadian society. LEAD acknowledges that police services lack cultural competence and our program exists to offer the opportunity to improve the situation.

14 LEAD’S MANDATE Mission Achieve a common professional approach by all Canadian law enforcement agencies to relationships with Aboriginal and diverse communities. Vision Harmonious relations between Canadian law enforcement agencies and the Aboriginal and diverse communities they serve. Objective Encourage law enforcement agencies to acknowledge and strive to eliminate barriers that impede relations with Aboriginal and diverse communities.

15 LEAD’S POTENTIAL ROLE IN PROFILING ISSUE LEAD can be the honest broker – a role consistent with our adopted mandate facilitate discussion and problem solving. This will occur at the 2006 Aboriginal and Diversity Conference in Toronto. In the meantime is there a will among CACP members to see this occur, perhaps at meetings of provincial chiefs of police associations?

16 DEVELOPING & SERVICING LEAD NETWORK Basic infrastructure and financial resources are in place as outlined earlier. Next steps: • Prepare policy document to keep program refreshed with volunteer members • Populate website with new ideas, articles and submissions • LEAD network is all police services; establish contacts and service them with valued information • For information about LEAD membership, contact Program Director Dr. Bill Beahen: leadprogdir@bellnet.ca

17 COORDINATION WITH OTHER CACP COMMITTEES LEAD is a special program of CACP, not acting in isolation, but enhancing the work of committees. Already exploring its role to support Policing with Aboriginal Peoples and Crime Prevention committees. Contributing to OACP/CACP Cultural Competency Forum, Toronto, October 12 to 15, 2005.

18 LAW ENFORCEMENT ABORIGINAL AND DIVERSITY CONFERENCE 2006 Following on the highly successful conference in Winnipeg in 2003, Toronto will be the venue of this national conference, entitled “Building Trust”, from April 30 to May 3, 2006. Conference program includes: Profiling – what it is and how to deal with it; Ensuring diversity in police ranks; Culturally competent practices in policing; Ipperwash – lessons learned; Community and police success stories; and Public institutions: making the systems work.

19 Law Enforcement Aboriginal and Diversity Conference 2006 Hosts are: Commissioner Gwen Boniface, OPP; Assistant Commissioner Michel Seguin, CO, RCMP Ontario; Chief Bill Blair, Toronto Police Service; Chief Brian Rupert, President, First Nations Chiefs of Police. Principal sponsors are Commissioner G. Zaccardelli, RCMP, Commissioner Gwen Boniface, OPP, Chief Bill Blair, TPS and the Multiculturalism Program of DCH. CACP and LEAD will support and provide logistics. 800 delegates expected and participation is encouraged from community representatives, police executives and frontline officers.

20 THE CAPB AND LEAD Much progress has been made over the past year in the sustainability of LEAD and its success in attracting partners. We would like to count CAPB among our most valued partners, active in two areas: • ensuring that your services become part of the network. • supporting LEAD’s continued contribution to policing.