Description of Services
FEDERATION OFSASKATCHEWAN INDIANS, INC.
SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT
DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES for 2011-2012
The Special Investigations Unit was created to provide members of First Nations with a complainant friendly, culturally sensitive alternative to other mechanisms for making public complaints against law enforcement agencies.
Current Activities/Responsibilities:
Provide a reliable and credible venue for the receipt of public complaints against municipal police service and RCMP members from First Nation citizens.
Forward First Nation citizen public complaints to respective provincial and federal complaints bodies which include but are not limited to the Saskatchewan Public Complaints Commission (PCC) and the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP (CPC).
Support all First Nation citizens that are involved in public complaint investigations.
Monitor all provincial and federal public complaint bodies assignments of First Nation public complaints to municipal police services and RCMP detachments to ensure appropriateness of the assignment.
Support First Nation citizens in setting where they have agreed to resolve a public complaint informally or by means of mediation.
Review the content of any provincial or federal public complaints bodies First Nation citizen investigation file where an allegation of misconduct or negligence with respect to the public complaint investigation or the investigator is being identified.
Support First Nation citizens where a public complaint has resulted in a disciplinary hearing of a municipal police service or RCMP member.
Educate First Nation citizens and their communities with respect to the SIU mandate and existing public complaint bodies and their agents which include but are not limited to the Saskatchewan Public Complaints Commission (PCC), the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP (CPC) and respective municipal police service and RCMP Professional Standards Unit.
Assist the Indian Justice Commission in the development of protocols with various bodies involved in any type of complaint public process.
Participate as an investigation observer for matters where a First Nations citizen has suffered a serious injury or died while in the custody of police or as a result of the actions of a police officer.
Assisting families with Ministerial-ordered Coroners= Inquests where a First Nation citizen has died as a result of actions of a police officer or has died while in the custody of police.
Providing First Nations complainants with referrals and information regarding community support services, when required.
Continuing to expand the effectiveness and efficiency of the SIU database.