New Community Safety Agreement Between Gitxsan Hereditary Chiefs and RCMP Looks to Protect Lives and Reduce Escalation

A new agreement between the Gitxsan Hereditary Chiefs and RCMP aims to protect lives and deter the escalation of conflicts between the pair.

Under the agreement, a Community Safety Plan for Gitxsan Land Issues will be established, covering more than 33,000 square kms of the Nation’s territory.

That plan is specifically tailored to deal with growing safety concerns for Nation members acting to defend their lands and title rights.

RCMP enforcement of injunction orders at Gitxsan blockades over the past few years has led to multiple highly publicized confrontations.

If left unchecked, the Chiefs fear that continued RCMP escalation and militarization could result in deaths, which they hope better enforcement discretion can avoid.

Their new plan calls for the joint-development of a Community Safety Playbook, which will outline a crisis management process.