By Jacqueline St. Pierre, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Manitoulin Expositor MANITOULIN—They are protectors. They are peacekeepers. But above all, they are relatives—carrying the weight of community and crisis on their backs, often with no backup and nowhere to turn. A new report released last week lays bare a grim reality that’s long simmered under the surface of First Nations policing in Ontario. Officers working under the Ontario First NationsPolicing Agreement (OFNPA) are struggling—not from a lack of heart, but from the unrelenting strain of working alone, underfunded, and unsupported in the very communities they serve. Seventy-four percent of officers surveyed say they’ve experienced mental health issues while on the job. Over a quarter reported their mental health as “poor or very poor” in the past six months. The report,…
Register
