The Selkirk First Nation (SFN) community safety officer (CSO) program in Pelly Crossing, Yukon, was established in 2019 to better respond to SFN citizen needs and fill the operational gaps of the RCMP. The SFN CSO program offers a unique example of a decolonized, Northern Indigenous community led CSO program operating in the Far North rooted in self-determination and self-governance working alongside the RCMP. This project focused on examining the strengths, tensions, and challenges of the SFN CSO program, along with the impacts of the program on self-governance, self-determination, and reconciliation with the RCMP in Pelly Crossing. Two final areas explored were key elements for formulating a CSO program in the Far North and how the SFN CSO program can provide crucial feedback for improving RCMP-administered policing for Northern Indigenous nations and communities.
Author Keywords: Community Safety Officer Programs, Decolonization of police, Indigenous Criminology, Indigenous Governance, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Selkirk First Nation