Nishnawbe Aski Nation media release
AYLMER,ON: One of the largest number of Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service recruits will be graduating from the Ontario Police College on Wednesday.
“I congratulate these recruits and look forward to welcoming 18 new officers to our growing police service. Our communities look forward to the presence of these new officers and I congratulate Chief Terry Armstrong and the NAPS Board for one of their highest number of recruits in a graduating class,” said Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler, who will attend the March Past and Review Ceremony.
“The safety of our communities and our officers is paramount. I encourage these recruits to take pride in their work, and am confident they will apply their skills and training to protect and serve our First Nations with pride and professionalism.”
Of the 18 new recruits, six are First Nation. Since December 2016, NAPS has also hired seven experienced officers, five of whom are First Nation.
This year’s graduating class raises the complement of uniformed NAPS officers to 160.
The service has grown by 17 new positions over the past year - a significant increase, but short of the additional 52 positions required during the last negotiations of the tripartite agreement with the provincial and federal governments.
The current five-year agreement expires in March 2018.
The new recruits will train for two weeks at NAPS headquarters in Thunder Bay after completion of Basic Constable Training.
They will be sworn in as constables during a badge ceremony on April 20.
NAPS is the largest First Nations police service in Canada and the second largest First Nations police service in North America.
Based in Thunder Bay, NAPS polices 34 communities across NAN territory, which encompasses nearly two-thirds of the Province of Ontario.
