There's No Crisis in Thunder Bay and It's 'Business As Usual' Says Acting

6/8/2017 There’s no crisis in Thunder Bay and it’s ‘business as usual’ says acting police chief APTN NewsAPTN News

(http://aptn.ca/news)  There’s no crisis in Thunder Bay and it’s ‘business as usual’ says acting police chief National News (http://aptnnews.ca/category/nationalnews/) | June 7, 2017 by Kenneth Jackson (http://aptnnews.ca/author/kjackson/) Attributed to: | 4 Comments (http://aptnnews.ca/2017/06/07/theresnocrisisinthunderbayanditsbusinessasusualsaysactingpolicechief/#comments)

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(http://aptnnews.ca/wp content/uploads/2017/06/thunderbay police.jpg) Kenneth Jackson APTN National News Thunder Bay’s police chief has been charged by the OPP for breach of trust.

The entire Thunder Bay police force is under a systemic review by the provincial police watchdog for how it treats Indigenous people.

The Thunder Bay police services board is also under a separate investigation.

Seven First Nations youth have died in the waterways, including two last month, since 2000.

An inquest into several of those deaths, and others, wrapped up last year.

There are cases of adult First Nation people dying in the waterways and police accused of not properly investigating.

There have been calls from First Nation leaders for change, including a media conference in Toronto where Thunder Bay police were accused of treating the deaths as just another “drunk Indian.”

But despite all that Thunder Bay police say they have it under control.

“I don’t see our current situation as a crisis,” said Sylvie Hauth, acting chief for Thunder Bay police at a media conference Wednesday.

(Below is a portion of a news conference Thunder Bay police held Wednesday. APTN Correspondents Willow Fiddler and Kenneth Jackson ask the interim police chief about the issues facing the force)

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http://aptnnews.ca/2017/06/07/theresnocrisisinthunderbayanditsbusinessasusualsaysactingpolicechief/ 1/7 6/8/2017 There’s no crisis in Thunder Bay and it’s ‘business as usual’ says acting police chief APTN NewsAPTN News

Hauth instead said the force is calling the current situation “challenging times” and said police will do what they do best: “That is to serve and protect our citizens.”

The chair of the Thunder Bay police services board was also at the media conference and jumped in when reporters brought up a crisis.

“What would be a crisis?” said Chair Jackie Dojack. “You paint a picture and we’ll tell you whether we think it is a crisis.”

An APTN National News reporter quickly listed off J.P. Levesque recently being charged with breach of trust and obstruction, the Office of the Independent Police Review Board’s ongoing systemic review, the Ontario Civilian Police Commission investigating if Dojack’s police services board is too cozy with the force, the multiple water deaths and whether that wouldn’t define a crisis.

“For us currently what we see is business as usual,” responded Hauth.

Earlier, Hauth said no police force is 100 per cent perfect and neither the Thunder Bay police. “Let us do our job. We can do it,” said Hauth.

Hauth also rejected a call from First Nation leaders to request the RCMP step in to investigate three waterway deaths in the city: Tammy Keeash, 17, who was living in a group home and found dead in the NeebingMcIntyre floodway on May 7; Josiah Begg, 14, who was found dead in the McIntyre River on May 18; and Stacy DeBungee, who was found dead in the McIntyre River on Oct. 19, 2015.

Tammy Keeash, 17, was found dead in a Thunder Bay waterway.

Hauth said during a press conference that she did not believe it to be “practical” or “necessary” to call in the Mounties.

The Ontario government has said only Hauth, as acting police chief, has the power to call in the RCMP.

Hauth became acting chief after the Ontario Provincial Police charged Thunder Bay police Chief J.P. Levesque with obstruction of justice and breach of trust after he allegedly disclosed confidential information about the city’s mayor Keith Hobbs.

First Nation leaders have said the local Indigenous community has no confidence in the Thunder Bay police or the OPP to investigate the deaths of Indigenous people.

That includes the mother of Keeash, Pearl Slipperjack who accused police Tuesday of not properly investigating her daughter’s death last month that has been ruled a drowning.

Police confirmed Wednesday the contents of APTN’s story (http://aptnnews.ca/2017/06/07/didtammykeeashhavebitemarksonherhandher momthinksso/)that outlined that there were markings on Keeash’s hand, who Slipperjack thinks was bite marks, and on her face. As well, where she was found there was little to no water as the floodway is full of thick reeds.

She was also found with one shoe on and the other up on a nearby hill.

But police said that evidence didn’t point to murder. http://aptnnews.ca/2017/06/07/theresnocrisisinthunderbayanditsbusinessasusualsaysactingpolicechief/ 2/7 6/8/2017 There’s no crisis in Thunder Bay and it’s ‘business as usual’ says acting police chief APTN NewsAPTN News “I think something more happened to her. Something more than what cops are telling me,” Slipperjack said.

with files from Jorge Barrera

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Tags: Featured (http://aptnnews.ca/tag/featured/), First Nation (http://aptnnews.ca/tag/firstnation/), Kenneth Jackson (http://aptnnews.ca/tag/kenneth jackson/), Thunder Bay (http://aptnnews.ca/tag/thunderbay/), Thunder Bay Police (http://aptnnews.ca/tag/thunderbaypolice/), water deaths (http://aptnnews.ca/tag/waterdeaths/)

Kenneth Jackson

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 Thunder Bay police rejects First Nation leaders’ call for RCMP probe of river deaths (http://aptnnews.ca/2017/06/07/thunderbaypolicerejectsfirstnation leaderscallforrcmpprobeofriverdeaths/)

4 Responses to “There’s no crisis in Thunder Bay and it’s ‘business as usual’ says acting police chief”

Diane Smith June 7, 2017 at 10:03 pm

# (http://aptnnews.ca/2017/06/07/theresnocrisisinthunderbayanditsbusinessasusualsaysactingpolicechief/#comment71906)

So…there you have it! The Ontario government has said the acting chief of police has to request the rcmp conduct an investigation and the acting chief says there is no crisis. So they can all dust their hands off and that’s that!

Reply (http://aptnnews.ca/2017/06/07/theresnocrisisinthunderbayanditsbusinessasusualsaysactingpolicechief/?replytocom=71906#respond)

Paul Haythorne (http://Facebook) June 8, 2017 at 12:17 am

# (http://aptnnews.ca/2017/06/07/theresnocrisisinthunderbayanditsbusinessasusualsaysactingpolicechief/#comment71907)

Crisis?It’s not a Crisis,It’s ethnic cleansing

Reply (http://aptnnews.ca/2017/06/07/theresnocrisisinthunderbayanditsbusinessasusualsaysactingpolicechief/?replytocom=71907#respond)

http://aptnnews.ca/2017/06/07/theresnocrisisinthunderbayanditsbusinessasusualsaysactingpolicechief/ 3/7 6/8/2017 There’s no crisis in Thunder Bay and it’s ‘business as usual’ says acting police chief APTN NewsAPTN News

Frank leaney (http://Aptn) June 8, 2017 at 2:56 pm

# (http://aptnnews.ca/2017/06/07/theresnocrisisinthunderbayanditsbusinessasusualsaysactingpolicechief/#comment71926)

Wow, is almost seems like the tbps are covering up for someone. For sure Keeash was murdered. Doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that. First Nations are less than, in they’re eyes

Reply (http://aptnnews.ca/2017/06/07/theresnocrisisinthunderbayanditsbusinessasusualsaysactingpolicechief/?replytocom=71926#respond)

DevilDog June 8, 2017 at 4:10 pm

# (http://aptnnews.ca/2017/06/07/theresnocrisisinthunderbayanditsbusinessasusualsaysactingpolicechief/#comment71928)

On June 4, 2017 shortly after midnight: a 15 year old youth from a First Nation in Northern Ontario, was attacked by three white males in their 20s, one was shaven headed, one blond and the third no description. The assailants were driving a black SUV van, he was pulled into the vehicle while walking home. In selfdefence he bit the arm of one of them, at the same time he grabbed a plastic bag in the vehicle which was filled with a heavy object. (Premeditated murder?) He hit a second perpetrator over the head, likely causing injury. He extricated himself from the vehicle, to which the occupants reversed and struck him. The youth managed to get away with bruising. The Thunder Bay Police Service were notified and they did take a statement, as well as Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation. I was told yesterday by the youth’s uncle that he was being interviewed by APTN, and I provided the family with the contact number for the Toronto Star. If this is not attempted murder, (heavy weighted bag??) I am assuming that to the TBPS that it’s just “kids” having fun or they personally know the “things” involved.

Reply (http://aptnnews.ca/2017/06/07/theresnocrisisinthunderbayanditsbusinessasusualsaysactingpolicechief/?replytocom=71928#respond)