Mon Sep 23 22:30:24 UTC 2024: ## Montreal Police Partner with Nunavik Force to Combat Drug Smuggling and Intimidation of Inuit

**Montreal, QC** – The Nunavik Police Service (NPS) announced a joint initiative with the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) to combat a growing problem of drug smuggling and intimidation of Inuit in Montreal. Criminal groups have been smuggling drugs, primarily crack cocaine, into communities in Nunavik, the semi-autonomous region in northern Quebec, and threatening Inuit in Montreal who could potentially identify them.

The two-week pilot project will see joint patrols in Montreal’s downtown and Plateau-Mont-Royal borough, as well as Westmount and Dorval, starting immediately. The goal is to build trust with the Inuit community in Montreal and offer them a sense of security.

“What we’ve seen with the rise of criminal activity is that the point of impact is on the entire community, not just one person,” said Hilda Snowball, chairperson of the Kativik Regional Government.

Chief Jean-Pierre Larose of the NPS highlighted that criminals have been using the vast distance between Nunavik and Montreal to their advantage, relying on others to move the drugs and operating with impunity. He acknowledged that victims of intimidation are often reluctant to report these incidents due to fear.

“Unfortunately, in the Inuit community, victims or witnesses of situations compromising their safety or the safety of others do not tend to report these incidents or make complaints to the police,” Larose stated.

Nicole Janis Qavavauq-Bibeau, research co-ordinator with the Iskweu Project, expressed skepticism about the SPVM’s ability to establish trust with Inuit communities, fearing potential over-criminalization of Indigenous people.

“There’s a huge difference between someone who’s causing a lot of harm to the community [and] someone who’s surviving and just trying to get by and they have a lot of trauma and no resources to help themselves,” she explained.

This joint initiative is seen as a crucial step in tackling the problem of drug trafficking and intimidation in Nunavik and Montreal. The SPVM is expected to travel to Nunavik soon to gain a better understanding of the region and its challenges.

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