The Wôlinak and Odanak police services are now one, having merged to create the Abenaki Police Force in 2009. This decision was made to provide better coverage across the entire territory and reduce response times.

This merger is a first in the province since the Quebec government adopted amendments to the Police Act. The agreement aimed to establish or maintain police forces by negotiating with one or more Indigenous communities. “The goal is to ensure the continuity of services offered through these regional services. With this agreement, you are demonstrating leadership and are a step ahead of other Indigenous communities,” says Robert Lafrenière, Assistant Deputy Minister of the Direction générale des affaires policières, de la prévention et des services de sécurité du Québec.

The Director of the Abenaki Police Force, Éric Cloutier, believes this decision will provide a more professional service to help the Indigenous population. “We will be able to preserve the existing relationship of trust between the community and the police. In the event of a rapid deployment, we will be able to reduce our response times, and we now have more officers to cover the territory.”

The police service will be based at the current station on the Odanak reserve, built four years ago. It is equipped with a 911 dispatch center and will allow people wishing to file a complaint to do so in complete confidentiality, compared to the former facility.