Hamilton police appointed its second-ever liaison officer on Friday at Pier 4 park. The liaison will play a role in bridging the relationship between policing and Indigenous communities.
Indigenous advocates have been asking for their own liaison officer in the police service for over 20 years. Members of Hamilton’s Indigenous community held a traditional welcoming ceremony for Cst. Stacey Hill as she steps into her new role as Hamilton Police Service’s Indigenous liaison officer.
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Hill says, “It’s great, it’s been a long time coming.” Hill is in her 26th year of policing and grew up on the New Credit reserve but has both Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee blood.
“To have representation for them to know that they have somebody out here that is also Indigenous with the police service, if they need someone to come to that they can trust, that they would have that person.”
The role of an Indigenous liaison officer is to maintain and build the relationship between police and the Indigenous community, a relationship that has often been strained.
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Nawalka Geeshy Meegwun, of Indigenous Consultation Circle, says, “Historically, the relationship between Indigenous people and policing agents has been quite chaotic and sometimes very violent.” Indigenous advocates say their hope is that the new role will help restore trust in police.
Meegwun added, “The Indigenous liaison officer will be able to provide guidance in helping any Indigenous people living in the city or outside the city who are trying to navigate their relationship with police when they have been engaged in some sort of contact with the police.”
Hamilton Police Chief Frank Bergen says, “We’ve heard loud and clear as well that people don’t always trust police. I would hope this would give the community an opportunity when they’re not comfortable to see a police officer in uniform, but have the opportunity to speak to a liaison officer to work together to be stronger.”
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During the ceremony on Friday, the Indigenous community gifted Hill an eagle’s feather, “the eagle’s feather is kind of the biggest honour we can give a member of our community, and Stacey has been walking in such a good way for such a long time in her life.”
Those in attendance were then invited to introduce themselves to Hill, share their gratitude, and lay a pinch of tobacco in the sacred fire. Hill says her goal in this new role is to keep expanding. She says she hopes to eventually see even more Indigenous liaison officers in the police service.
