NAPS recovering from budget issues

Facing a budget deficit projected at more than $1 million, Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service was forced to start making tough decisions last year.
That meant laying off its transport officers – the NAPS staff who transport accused people to their court hearings – and some civilian staff.
It meant carrying a less than full complement of front-line officers despite high crime rates.
It also meant asking the OPP to help patrol two of its First Nations: Aroland and Mishkeegogamang, so about a half-dozen officers from these communities could be reassigned temporarily to northern communities. NAPS officers also had to take on prisoner transport duties.
“The OPP is one of our greatest partners,” said NAPS Chief Claude Chum. “We asked for their help and support and they agreed.”
OPP officers will provide all necessary police for Aroland through the Greenstone detachment. In Mishkegogamang, officers from the OPP’s Pickle Lake detachment will serve alongside NAPS officers. In both cases, the communities were chosen because of their proximity to OPP detachments, making it easier for the OPP, Chum explained.
Aroland Chief Sonny Gagnon is supportive of NAPS’ decision to have the OPP serve in his community.
“I’ve got no problem with the OPP,” Gagnon said. “I’ve had no one complain to me about problems. If this is a way my community can help another community, I support that.”
The OPP will be in both communities until March 31 – the end of the fiscal year at NAPS, though Chum has already asked for an extension to June to help ease the financial burden on NAPS.
“We’ve been using the (officer) vacancies to help pay down the debt,” Chum said.
With the debt starting to drop, Chum said two transport officers in the northeast and two in the northwest will be hired back.
“We will also start moving ahead with filling our officer vacancies,” Chum said.
In the new fiscal year, officer training will resume, Chum said.
“We had to make sacrifices,” he said. “Things like travel and training had to be cut. There were measures in place to cut costs. Only mandatory training was being completed.
“As chief, I am trying to do my part. I haven’t done much travelling (with the NAPS plane) to the First Nations. But when the plane is used, we’re trying to make full use of it.”
That could mean using it to ship items, transport trainers or bring mechanics or technicians to conduct repairs to equipment, he said.
“My goal is to see the communities … and meet the officers in the field,” Chum said. “I would like to see the detachments and officer housing.”
But that is not something Chum will rush at the expense of NAPS’ $25 million annual budget.