Two First Nations women have been appointed to the top jobs in the troubled Thunder Bay Police Services Board in an effort to improve its image.
Karen Machado, a member of the Red Rock band takes over as board chair.
“There’s going to be a lot of consultation and you know, have faith in us, we’re gonna get there,” she told APTN News. “But, it’s not going to happen overnight.
“There will hopefully be some small short wins, but big stuff takes time, cultural change takes time.”
Denise Baxter of Marten Falls First Nation has been named vice chair.
Alongside new Police Chief Darcy Fleury who is Métis, they form an entirely Indigenous leadership group for Thunder Bay police.
The board develops and oversees policies that are to be followed by members of the police service.
Machado has worked in the Ontario public service for 34 years.
Denise Baxter has served as vice provost of Indigenous Initiatives at Lakehead University for 17 years and serves on two service boards in Thunder Bay.
The police service and the board have been the subject of several reviews in the last decade including one report that found evidence of systemic racism in how it handles cases involving Indigenous people.
In April, an independent expert panel released a report that called for systemic change, saying an anti-racism policy, a trauma-informed approach to policing and a formal forum for consultation with First Nations should all be urgently implemented.
