Pic Mobert First Nation in northwestern Ontario declares a state of emergency due to gang activity

A First Nation in northwestern Ontario had declared a state of emergency due to escalating safety concerns surrounding gang activity.

On Tuesday, leaders of Netmizaggamig Nishnaabeg First Nation – also known as Pic Mobert First Nation – held a press conference in Queen's Park to demand more support for what they call “a crisis of violence, organized crime, addiction and mental health.”

“A series of violent incidents, inhumane delays in emergency response and the unchecked presence of organized crime have left our citizens feeling scared, abandoned and unsafe – even in their own homes.

“This is not an isolated or temporary situation. It will be the new normal,” Chief Louis Kwissiwa said in a press release Tuesday morning.

Between 350 and 400 people live in the Ojibwe community, which consists of two reservation areas along Highway 17 along White Lake. The First Nation is located about 55 kilometers east of the town of Marathon.

Pic Mobert is served by the Anishinabek Police Service and the Marathon Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).

Chief Kwissiwa told CBC's Jonathan Pinto that they declared a state of emergency because people feel unsafe in the community: “There are a lot of mental health issues. There are social problems, there are addictions. All this makes people feel very insecure. the lack of policing increases crime, organized crime, human trafficking, you name it, increases everything.

He said they are asking the province for commitments to adequate police funding. 'We have a plan in place. We don't ask them to fix it for us. We're asking them to help us fix it, to help us with our plan that we have.”

The First Nation has three important questions for the province:

• Consistent, timely law enforcement.
• More investments in detox, treatment and aftercare; the closest detox beds to the community are a four-hour drive away in Thunder Bay or Sault Ste. Marie.
• More equitable, comprehensive social services.

Elsewhere in northwestern Ontario, Fort William First Nation, which borders Thunder Bay, declared a state of emergency in July due to the community's ongoing drug epidemic.

There are not enough police officers in the area

A lack of police officers and the distances they have to travel to Pic Mobert are one of the main issues when it comes to delayed response times, Paul Michtics, director of community safety for Pic Mobert and a retired OPP officer, explained during Tuesday's presser. conference.

“Police patrols and presence for [less] than half of each month in our community is insufficient, and stands in stark contrast to the level of service received by other cities in the province of Ontario,” said Michtics.

“We must stop drug trafficking, violent crimes, guns and illegal drug use. We need a police force that is present in the community and enforces our local laws to disrupt and prevent these violent activities.”

The First Nation has four dedicated officers and wants to at least double that, he said.

Three recent incidents prompted Pic Mobert to declare a state of emergency, according to the First Nation's press release:

• A young man was held at gunpoint and beaten in the community, taking four hours to respond to a call for help.
• Another person was stabbed multiple times, with the suspect remaining at large before being arrested.
• A home invasion involving armed perpetrators resulted in two perpetrators being at large in the community for a week, with police insisting there was no danger to the community.

CBC News has reached out to Anishinabek police for confirmation of these incidents and for comment on the emergency declaration. This story will be updated once a response is received.

Sergeant Cam Ducharme, detachment commander of the Marathon OPP, told CBC News in an email Tuesday that while Anishinabek police primarily serve Pic Mobert, “the OPP supports First Nation police services with general law enforcement and investigative resources as requested. “

“The OPP is committed to providing adequate and effective policing to promote continued public safety in communities across Ontario and supports the provision of adequate resources to ensure effective policing options for First Nations,” Ducharme said.

Millions in debt from private security services

Pic Mobert First Nation says it has racked up about $5 million in debt by installing security cameras, license plate readers and hiring outside emergency security services.

“Netmizaggamig Nishnaabeg has taken many steps to address this crisis internally, but their capacity is finite – they have strained their community's resources and incurred millions in debt, and more action remains urgently needed,” said Kiiwetinoong MPP Sol Mamakwa , critic of Indigenous. and treaty relations, in a press release on Tuesday.

“Once again, we see a First Nation in Ontario in crisis because the government is not putting public safety in First Nations at the same level as anywhere else in the province.”

At a separate news conference Tuesday morning, Ontario Solicitor General Michael Kerzner answered a question about Pic Mobert's state of emergency.

“What I can tell you is this: our commitment to public safety in the four corners of this province is absolutely steadfast – whether that's a municipal police force… whether it's the OPP… or whether it's First Nations police forces ,” said Kerzner, who said he would be briefed on the situation later in the day.

“We will leave no stone unturned in saying that our public safety message is absolute and constant, and we will do what we need to do to ensure that is the case.”