Prince Rupert residents looking to learn more about police accountability can attend a free community engagement day on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, hosted by the BC First Nations Justice Council at the Crest Hotel.
The event runs from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and includes a morning “Know Your Rights” seminar, lunch, and an afternoon roundtable discussion. The council says the day is meant for dialogue, education, and direct support for anyone affected by police interactions.
The session is led by the council’s new Police Accountability Unit, which officially launched on June 10. The unit began as a pilot in August 2024 and has already handled 220 files involving police violence, misconduct, or negligence affecting Indigenous people. It operates independently with funding from the Law Foundation of BC, offering free legal representation to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit individuals.
“When one of our community members or our children experiences police violence, we all feel it, and that doesn’t go away. The statistics are there, and the pattern of violence and death has been documented time and again. The PAU is a step towards taking police oversight into our own hands on a provincial level,” said Cloy-e-iis, also known as Dr. Judith Sayers, a director with the council.
As of fall 2025, about 69 percent of the unit’s complaints involved the RCMP, while 31 percent were linked to municipal police. The unit can help with summary advice, filing complaints, and pursuing civil actions related to municipal forces, RCMP members, or bylaw officers.
The Prince Rupert event sits on Ts’msyen traditional territory, home to communities such as Lax Kw’alaams, Metlakatla, Gitga’at, and others. In addition to the June 24 program, confidential one-on-one sessions are available from June 23 to 25 for those who want private support.
All activities are free and open to the public at the Crest Hotel, located at 222 1st Avenue West.
