On March 17, 2026, the Manitoba First Nations Police Service (MFNPS) launched a new specialized team to target illegal drugs and guns across the 12 First Nation communities it serves, including Sandy Bay. This one-year pilot project is designed to make neighbourhoods safer by shifting toward a proactive policing model.
The Crime Reduction and Enforcement Unit (CREU) will focus on removing illegal firearms and drugs from the region. Officers will use intelligence-led strategies and data to track and stop gang activity and drug trafficking across the communities.
Chief of Police Jason Colon said the new team allows the service to take a more proactive and intelligence-led approach to community safety. By focusing on specific threats like drug sales, the police hope to provide a more visible presence for residents.
This initiative follows other recent updates to the police force, including the full deployment of body-worn cameras to all officers, which was completed in January 2026. The new crime unit is part of a larger plan to modernize how the service protects local residents.
The police service will review the results of the project after one year to decide if the team will stay on permanently. The goal of the trial is to reduce crime and improve the daily lives of people living in Sandy Bay and the other First Nation communities policed by the MFNPS.
