Indigenous group creates safety equipment library
A local group is hoping to deter predators by loaning out safety equipment for Indigenous women, youth, and two-spirited people.
Children First Society Executive Director Diandra Powderhorn says people considered at high risk of being abducted or harmed could soon get access to a library of safety equipment.
“Indigenous people are at a higher risk of being targeted,” Powderhorn said in an interview with CTV News.
She is collecting donated body cameras, door jams, and GPS trackers to loan out.
They will loan out some of the equipment collected on Friday after the Every Child Matters walk ends at the Manitoba Legislative Building.
“We do have a few cameras out in the community already for the high-risk members.”
Statistics Canada says six in 10 Indigenous women will have experienced some form of intimate partner violence in their lifetime. It says homicide rates are five times higher for Indigenous women than rates for non-Indigenous women across Canada.
The group is hoping the equipment will act as a deterrent for people considering harming Indigenous women, youth, or two-spirited people.
“We want to try to make a difference before these things happen,” Powderhorn said. "We are hoping that predators out there will see this and think twice."
Winnipeg Police Service Superintendent Bonnie Emerson says they engage with community organizations that search for people with unknown whereabouts or work with those who are vulnerable on a regular basis.
“You absolutely should not have to wait for something to happen for support but that’s again where police services partner with community organizations where there is safety planning,” Emerson said. “What we are doing is hopefully sharing information that empowers those organizations to work with the individuals that work with the women directly in a safe and trauma-informed way.”
Darryl Contois walks Winnipeg streets every day – volunteering to look for people out of contact with loved ones.
“This is our city. This is the city that we love,” Contois said, “We got to work together.”
He says many Indigenous people often turn to him when they lose contact.
“A lot of people would rather talk to somebody that's not a police officer.”
He says he will work with authorities and share information – but says his approach is what sets him apart.
"All it is - is about closure and helping that family find their loved one.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.