A week shy of turning 19, Johnny Saunders achieved his childhood ambition of joining the police force, an experience that did not unfold as anticipated. Recalling his induction into Nunavik Regional Police, formerly known as the Kativik Regional Police Force, Saunders vividly remembers receiving a new uniform and the keys to a truck. “We were all idealistic, dreaming of making a positive impact,” reflected Saunders in an interview.
Recruited and trained alongside several Inuit officers for policing roles in their native communities in the early 2000s, Saunders found himself disillusioned and overwhelmed just two and a half years later at the age of 21. Struggling with stress, he resorted to heavy drinking as a coping mechanism. Feeling like an outsider in his own Inuit territory of Nunavik, Saunders faced challenges that strained his relationships, such as having to arrest his cousin for a minor offense, a decision he still regrets.
The decline in the number of local police officers, with a higher influx of non-Indigenous officers, has transformed Nunavik into a revolving door for police training, according to Saunders. This constant turnover has led to a lack of understanding among new officers about the communities they serve, contributing to a decline in trust and an increase in violent incidents.
Recent protests in Nunavik against police brutality highlight ongoing concerns about safety following a fatal shooting incident involving 26-year-old Joshua Papigatuk and his twin brother. The lack of Inuit representation within the police force, with only three out of 151 officers being Inuit, as reported by the Kativik Regional Government, underscores the need for recruiting more Inuit officers and adopting community policing models.
Former police officers emphasize the challenges faced by Inuit officers, citing a lack of support and the unsustainability of long-term community policing. The erosion of trust, compounded by high crime rates, addiction, suicide, and housing issues, has led to calls for police reform and a review of police operations to align better with Inuit culture.
Efforts to enhance community relations and build trust with the police, such as additional training on Inuit culture for officers, are being proposed by police officials and advocates. Calls to disarm police and reduce the use of lethal weapons in response to escalating incidents have been echoed by residents and families impacted by police-involved shootings.
Advocates like Olivia Ikey and Suzy Kauki emphasize the need for immediate reforms to prevent further instances of police misconduct and violence. Reflecting on his own experiences, Saunders, now a musician, uses his music to heal from the trauma of his time as a police officer and advocates for positive change within the policing system.