A recent report by the federal parliamentary budget office highlights that despite an increase in funding for First Nations and Inuit policing services, the programs are not utilizing all the allocated funds, leading to concerns from Indigenous communities about underfunded police services.
The report, released on Tuesday by the PBO, scrutinized the funding and spending for the First Nations and Inuit Policing Program (FNIPP). This program supports policing and community safety services through two types of policing agreements: self-administered police services and community tripartite agreements where existing police services provide policing to a First Nations or Inuit community.
The cost of the program is shared between the federal government and provincial/territorial governments in a 52% to 48% ratio. While the annual funding for the program has increased significantly from $123 million in 2015-16 to $395 million in 2024-25, there have been instances since 2021-22 where the allocated funds have not been fully utilized.
The report attributed the discrepancies between planned and actual spending to differences in funding cycles. PBO director, Govindadeva Bernier, explained that delays in spending could occur if the federal government announces additional program funds after provincial budgets have already been set.
Introduced in 2018-19, the First Nations and Inuit Policing Facilities Program (FNIPFP) aimed to improve policing facilities in communities, contributing to the rise in funding. However, similar to FNIPP, the FNIPFP also experienced less spending than allocated funds, partly due to delays in project approval by Public Safety Canada.
Various factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic, challenges in construction in remote areas, and deficiencies in project management, were cited for the spending discrepancies. Indigenous communities have expressed concerns about the underfunding of self-administered police services and are advocating for federal recognition of First Nations policing as an essential service.
Despite commitments from the federal government to address these issues, the report emphasizes that additional funding would be required if First Nations policing services were classified as essential in federal legislation. The Senate’s standing committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs requested the report following an audit of the program that highlighted similar funding and spending issues.
Auditor General Karen Hogan’s audit raised alarms about the unspent funds allocated to the program, emphasizing the importance of supporting Indigenous community safety. Public Safety Canada was criticized for not tailoring programming to community needs and lacking a structured approach in funding allocation. The department is currently undergoing program reform in collaboration with the Indigenous Leadership Development Institute Inc. to enhance First Nations Police Services Legislation.