1st grads from Manitoba First Nations policing program eager to protect others in their communities

Autumn Lowther joined the Manitoba First Nations Police Service out of a love for her community and to fight for missing and mur‐ dered Indigenous women and girls.

Her aunt Amanda Sophia Bartlett went missing in 1996.

"My goal is just to protect my sisters. I'm the oldest out of three sisters and also pro‐ tect my sisters in the commu‐ nity," she said.

Lowther, who hails from Opaskwayak Cree Nation, is one of 10 recruits celebrating their graduation from the service's six-month policing program in Southport, Man., on Friday. The program is the first of its kind for the organi‐ zation - it partnered with Assiniboine Community Col‐ lege to exclusively train re‐ cruits who will become police officers for the Manitoba First Nations Police Service.

Lowther will be travelling to Canupawakpa Dakota Na‐ tion and Bird Tail Sioux Dako‐ ta Nation in southwestern Manitoba for six months of on-the-ground training.

"I'm excited to learn, to gain new experiences, I'm ex‐ cited to be involved in the community, I'm excited to hopefully make a difference in other people's lives," Lowther said.

Creating community connections

Doug Palson, the chief of the Manitoba First Nations Police Service, said it's challenging right now because everybody is looking for police officers. Palson said they've adapted by focusing hard on creating community connections to find and recruit potential offi‐ cers.

The service continues to expand, so more recruits will be needed, Palson said. The organization hopes to be ac‐ tive in Brokenhead Ojibway Nation by the end of the year and has other communities actively looking for service.

The program with Assini‐ boine Community College highlights the importance of having a police service that is culturally responsive and ac‐ countable to the communi‐ ties it serves.

If recruitment efforts are successful, they plan on hav‐ ing another class in the fall,

Palson said.

"We've had lots of people join our service over the years, but at the entry-level, the recruit training, it's al‐ ways been having to get seats in other programs," Pal‐ son said. "This is one of the first times it's been dedicated specifically for our mem‐ bers."

The program has let them get First Nations candidates to pursue a career in policing knowing it can be a longlasting and fulfilling job, Pal‐ son said.

In some cases, they can even serve their home com‐ munities.

The structure of the class includes cultural components with a focus on community and crime prevention by cre‐ ating community connec‐ tions, Palson said.

He wants recruits to carry the motivation they had in their six months of training into the community they will now serve in for another six months of on-the-ground training. During this time they'll work with a coach of‐ ficer and if they do well they will be released on their own, where they could be moved to other communities.

"Continue to learn, contin‐ ue to develop and get to know the community that you are working in," Palson said. "Get to know the com‐ munity and it will go a long way in helping with the com‐ munity safety initiatives."

Graduates will be as‐ signed to various detach‐ ments across the province.

On-the-ground connec‐ tions

Valedictorian Maxim Beaulieu, who hails from Sandy Bay Ojibway First Na‐ tion, celebrated his gradua‐ tion with his wife Christy and young son Max Jr.

While the long hours and time away from his family will be challenging, it's an exciting opportunity, Beaulieu said.

He was inspired to join by a family member who is in the service and past co-work‐ ers who were in the RCMP and, "seeing them in those careers and the accomplish‐ ments they achieved," Beaulieu said.

Beaulieu is headed to Long Plain First Nation for his six months of field training with a senior officer. Al‐ though he's visited Long Plain in the past for pow‐ wows - watching the dancing, enjoying music and eating fresh bannock tacos - he's looking forward to getting to know the community better.

"As a First Nation man, I feel confident going into First

Nation communities. I've seen some struggles in my own family and my own ex‐ periences so I think I can un‐ derstand with what people are dealing with on the cul‐ tural side," Beaulieu said.