Treaty #3 Police move to new site

The Treaty #3 Police Service has moved from their original location at Couchiching First Nation to the OPP station in Emo.
Health and safety issues were cited as reasons for the move, which was completed on Nov. 22.
There are 77 Treaty #3 police officers currently stationed in the Rainy River area, noted S/Sgt. Larry Indian, a former OPP officer who transferred in 2006 when Deputy Chief Ernest Jones retired.
The move from Couchiching to Emo took three days. “We have an extraordinary good working relationship with the OPP,” S/Sgt. Indian enthused.
The next big move for the Treaty #3 Police Service is into a new station, near the Nanicost building on Couchiching, but that won’t be for some time yet.
Soil testing will need to be done once the exact site is selected, S/Sgt. Indian noted.
On April 1, 2003, the Treaty #3 Police Service assumed all policing duties from the OPP-administed First Nations Policing Program to become the latest stand alone police force in Canada.
It serves 18,550 First Nations’ residents in 28 First Nation Territories in the Kenora and Rainy River districts.
Due to the vast patrol area (55,000 square miles), the Treaty #3 Police Service was divided into two major “subdivisions,” with smaller satellite detachments left over from the OPP-administered program.
The Kenora subdivision was headquartered at Dalles First Nation while the one for Rainy River was located on Couchiching.
The force currently uses the Chevy Impala and Chevy Tahoe after the OPP Ford Victoria, Expedition, and Excursions were phased out.
A variety of other deployment methods are used, including boats, four-wheelers, and snowmobiles.