Re: Properly fund Nishnawbe-Aski Police, MP tells Feds (Wawatay News, Nov. 1)

Editor,
What gets me about the whole issue is that here, the non-native police officers are housed, they have heat and hydro and a roof over their head. Everything is covered. The local officers who coach and show them the ropes are left struggling to get by, houses that are cold and drafty and have high hydro bills. Bedding and house hold items are also provided for them. I was once told that this was because these non-native officers have mortgages to pay. My response was that these officers know what they are getting into when they apply for NAPS.
We have been here for 10 years now and have watched so many officers use NAPS as a leg up to get into other police services. If this is going to be done (housing) for some it should be done for all. For those local officers who have built their homes and have their families with them. A subsidy should be applied.
Submitted online
Editor,
“Housing” is provided for all officers regardless of skin color, but in all too many cases that is simply a hotel room. Besides the non-native officers having a mortgage to pay, they also have income tax, and flights home to see their families.
Submitted online
Editor,
Maybe the solution is to find a stronger commitment from NAPS Board/Managers to ensure that local hiring is a priority so that the life of the non-native officers isn’t disrupted so much and the budget isn’t spent on hotel rooms. And maybe this could allow for more over-time pay to those officers who are left to fill in gaps because even though they may not have mortgages to pay or taxes, there is always a high cost of living on many far northern reserves...
Submitted online