Top cops resign from Treaty Three Police

The top three Treaty Three Police chiefs have resigned.
Chief of Police Conrad DeLaronde’s resignation is effective this coming November, Deputy Chief of Police Larry Indian’s resignation is effective at the end of August and Deputy Chief of Police Terry Armstrong has accepted a position with Nishnawbe Aski Police Service (NAPS).
“Armstrong went to NAN; he’s the police chief there now,” said Treaty Three Police Service Board Chairman Eli Mandamin. “We’re dealing with about three signatures, but there’s no crisis, there’s no urgency.”
Mandamin was appointed as board chairman along with new board executive members during the Treaty Three Police annual general meeting on July 23.
Mandamin said the board is “working hands-on” with the resignations, noting a board meeting is scheduled for Aug. 14 in Fort Frances.
“As chiefs, we don’t belong on these corporate boards but we’ve been asked to step up to clean things up and sort things out so we can turn it over to the band members once we’ve finished sorting things out,” Mandamin said. “We’re working in sectors and doing due diligence and we’ll sit down with the chief of police when it is time to deal with his resignation. He might even extend it beyond three months, just to work with us. Everything is still quite open.”
Mandamin said the three resignations are likely due to upcoming deadlines for their pension plans.
“They won’t be eligible as of September 1,” Mandamin said. “You have to bail out by the end of August to be eligible. So there’s different dynamics going on — it’s not just because people are frustrated or upset.”
Mandamin said the board’s recent meeting with representatives of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, which represents Treaty Three Police officers, went well.
“Our priority as a board is communications, and that is what we are doing — opening up communications with all the sectors in the police service,” Mandamin said.
Although concerns were raised about the future of the Treaty Three Police after some officers were laid off, the Treaty Three Police Service board executive announced in early July that it does not intend to close down the police service.
“It is not nor ever will be the desire of the board of directors, executive or our member-representative communities to close our police service,” the board executive said in a press release.
Meanwhile, Alberta Regional Chief Cameron Alexis said First Nation police services are in a state of crisis because they have not received a substantial increase in funding levels since 2007.
“The federal government’s commitment to maintain the previous funding levels for the next five years is a positive step but it does not address the chronic underfunding of these essential services for First Nation communities,” Alexis said.
“Despite limited resources, our police services continue to provide their communities with above average results. Ongoing limitations on adequate funding will compromise the level of service provided in the future.”