The KRPF presents its Quarterly Activity Report to the KRG Council

On February 28, the Public Security Department of the Kativik Regional Government (KRG), which includes the KRPF and the Civil Security Section, presented its activity report for December 2017 to February 2018.

​The presentation was an opportunity for the new Director of Public Security and Chief of the KRPF, Jean-Pierre Larose, to be presented for the first time, after being sworn in last February.

The Councillors exchanged with KRPF management on the use of firearms alternative weapons, such as Tasers. In the following years, the goal of the KRPF is to have at least one Taser gun and one officer trained to use it in every community.

Another concern was the firearms registration. A Quebec by-law was implemented for firearms owners to register their weapons in the current year.  The KRPF suggested to help Nunavimmiut to register their firearms, to prepare for the situation and expressed its shared concern on how it could affect the Inuit culture in Nunavik.

From left to right: Executive assistant and former KRPF Chief of Police Michel Martin, Deputy Chief Jean-Guy Lalonde, KRPF Chief of Police Jean-Pierre Larose and Deputy Chief Benoit Plante.

Racism was also a theme addressed: some people would talk behind the back of Inuit in some communities.  As a solution, it was suggested that police officers follow a cultural awareness program and this idea was supported by the Chief Larose:

“I won’t tolerate any form of racism. We should explain the Inuit culture of Nunavik before hiring someone. We will try to implement this idea.”

Various topics were also discussed during the presentation, such as:

Renewal of funding: a proposal document was submitted to federal and provincial governments. It is proposed that an agreement covers five years, from April, 2018 to March 2023.
Training: a KRPF police officer followed training to be eligible to become a Drug Recognition Expert to get ready for the 2018 cannabis new legislation. In a long term perspective, the KRPF wants to have an expert in each community.
Cannabis legislation: The former KRPF Chief Michel Martin attended with other KRG representatives a parliamentary commission regarding regulations of cannabis and its impact for the Aboriginal communities. They also expressed their concerns, mainly related to drug impaired driving and the ways to detect it;
Prevention and community initiatives and involvement: the KRPF presented the various activities in which it was involved in the different communities;
Crime statistics:
Assaults Occurrences have decreased by approximately 6.5% compared to 2016 and the number of files related to alcohol decreased by 15.9 %;
Sexual  Assaults  Occurrences  have  increased  by  approximately  13.2 % compared to 2016 and the number of files related to alcohol increased by 21.24%;
Number    of    Impaired    Driving    Occurrences    have    increased    by approximately 4.9% compared to 2016;
The   number   of   Criminal   Incidents   Occurrences   have   decreased   by   approximately 11.74 %  representing  1475 less  criminal  files  compared to 2016.

At the end of the presentation, KRG Chairperson Jennifer Munick acknowledged the work of the former Chief of Police Michel Martin for his work with the KRPF since June 2015.