The Windsor Police Service has a new training partnership with the Anishinabek Police Service.
The leaders from the two police services are meeting Wednesday to develop the collaborative training program. Members of the Windsor Police Service are travelling to Kettle and Stony Point First Nation for the initial meeting.
“As a police service, we are continually looking for new ways to bolster our cultural understanding and strengthen our relationships with marginalized communities," said Windsor Police Chief Jason Bellaire. "Inspector Marc LeSage and I met on a training course in 2017, and over years of dialogue, we have come together with the goal of creating a partnership that will improve training for members at both services. It is our hope that this partnership will encourage mutual discovery and learning. We hope to then leverage that knowledge to improve our approach with community policing strategies in Windsor and Amherstburg.”
The aim is for the Windsor Police Service to gain a better understanding of Indigenous culture. At the same time, the Anishinabek Police members will gain knowledge and experience on policing in more densely population urban environments.
"The Anishinabek Police Service’s focus is policing Indigenous communities, and we as police leaders can learn a great deal from each other on the uniqueness of our police services. To partner together on a training initiative and to learn from one another will only strengthen a sacred relationship we all strive for," said Anishinabek Police Chief Jeff Skye.
Members of the Anishinabek Police Service will travel to Windsor early in the new year.