Policing issues in Indigenous communities of Quebec
Although some authors have studied Indigenous policing, very few, if any, have examined Indigenous policing from a comprehensive and qualitative approach and from the perspective of police officers. Adopting a participative method, this study used the group analysis method with seven police officers from Indigenous police forces in Quebec to document the main policing issues and formulate possible solutions adapted to the realities of the community. The results highlight, among other things, issues related to the non-recognition of the role of police within the Indigenous and even the police community, citizen and political proximity, social and professional isolation, and the lack of organizational support, as well as the lack of accessibility of partner services to support their interventions. These challenges are juxtaposed with the important social problems in the communities that police officers encounter daily. This approach gives rise to possible solutions based on the variety of representations and also led to the development of a research project aimed at gaining a better understanding of the perception of police officers who work with First Nations, Métis, or Inuit communities.