A new partnership agreement between the Thunder Bay Police Service and the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service will see the sharing of information and much more.

NAPS Chief Roland Morrison says investigations between the two services often overlap and despite issues over the handling of deaths of Indigenous people by city police, this partnership is part of what was recommended to address that issue.

“We’re all living in Northwestern Ontario together, so its important that we work together and we be seen working together. The time is now to start working, and we know the issues are many, but its time to roll up the sleeves and get to work.”

A similar partnership according to Morrison was worked out in the NAPS patrolled communities Northeastern Ontario with the police services in Peel, Halton and York Region earlier this year.

Something Thunder Bay Police Chief Darcy Fleury says they intend to look into pursuing as well.

Fleury notes this agreement will help both services better help the communities they protect and the residents of those communities when they travel around.

“We can help to really do our best to ensure they feel safe coming to this community I think that’s a really important piece, and doing it together out of this agreement is going to be so important going forward.”

The agreement could see officers from the services working in each other’s communities, however Fleury stresses Thunder Bay officers will have to be invited by those communities first.

This will allow officers from both services to experience the different styles of policing between large urban centres and small remote communities.

A timeline to fully roll out the agreement will begin to take off this fall.

(Adam Riley / Acadia Broadcasting)