“Over a four-day period from the end of August to the start of September, police in Canada killed three Indigenous people — a 31-year-old Clearwater River Dene Nation man by Saskatchewan RCMP on Aug. 29; Hoss Lightning, a 15-year-old resident of Samson Cree Nation by Wetaskiwin RCMP on Aug. 30; and Tammy Bateman, an unhoused Indigenous woman by Winnipeg Police on Sept. 2.”(Opinion: We need more accountability when police kill Indigenous people By Jeff Shantz)I found this article after further research about what happened to an Indigenous boy, Hoss Lightning. Hoss called 911 because he said someone was chasing him and trying to kill him. He had weapons on him that he willingly gave up, but after an "altercation," which I still didn't find information about, he was shot and killed. The one article calls for more accountability when the police kill Indigenous people. I agree with part of that statement; I think there needs to be more accountability when the police kill anyone. Unfortunately, there are no exact statistics on the topic, but from research, the people most affected are the Indigenous and Black communities, followed by the male population in general.
It's important to recognize the broader problems within the system, but we shouldn't paint everyone with the same brush. Not all police officers are corrupt or biased. However, there is definitely a need for better accountability and training, especially in handling situations calmly and being aware of different cultures. Sometimes, unconscious biases, which come from past (ancestorial) prejudices, can have a big effect on how police interact with underrepresented communities.
Programs that educate about diversity, fairness, and inclusion are very important. But, these programs should not just happen in schools; they also need to be part of training for people in jobs like law enforcement. We need a more thorough approach to tackle the deep issues that lead to these unfortunate events.