Calls for police reform come in the wake of recent shootings of Indigenous people and ‘assault and attack’ on First Nation chief Allan Adam; Prime Minister Trudeau says he’s committed to doing more on police reform but needs time
Assembly of First Nations National Chief Perry Bellegarde speaks during a press conference at the National Press Theatre in Ottawa on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020.The RCMP should institute a zero-tolerance policy for excessive use of force, Assembly of First Nations National Chief Perry Bellegarde said Monday, stressing that the police are in place to serve and protect, not “assault and kill.”
“It was straight attack,” he said. “That’s an assault and an attack, and that’s not acceptable. So having a zero-tolerance policy would be clear and that would send a strong message to all police forces that it will not be tolerated.”Amid mounting pressure to implement immediate reforms to policing, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday that his government needs more time to go through the many reports and recommendations on the topic and determine what he will do first.
New Brunswick authorities have promised to release the full BEI report into Ms. Moore’s death. It is not yet clear what will happen with the report into Mr. Levi’s death. He also said the RCMP should release race-based data – another request that Mr. Trudeau has not yet commented on.
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