By Jacqueline St. Pierre, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Manitoulin Expositor They are protectors. They are peacekeepers. But above all, they are relatives\u2014carrying the weight of community and crisis on their backs, often with no backup and nowhere to turn. A new report released this week lays bare a grim reality that\u2019s long simmered under the surface of First Nations policing in Ontario. Officers working under the Ontario First NationsPolicing Agreement (OFNPA) are struggling\u2014not 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\u2019ve experienced mental health issues while on the job. Over a quarter reported their mental health as \u201cpoor or very poor\u201d in the past six months. The… <\/p>\n
By Jacqueline St. Pierre, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Manitoulin Expositor They are protectors. They are peacekeepers. But above all, they are relatives\u2014carrying the weight of community and crisis on their backs, often with no backup and nowhere to turn. A new report released this week lays bare a grim reality that\u2019s long simmered under the surface of First Nations policing in Ontario. Officers working under the Ontario First NationsPolicing Agreement (OFNPA) are struggling\u2014not 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\u2019ve experienced mental health issues while on the job. Over a quarter reported their mental health as \u201cpoor or very poor\u201d in the past six months. The... <\/p>\n