The Prince Albert Police Service officially swore in their new deputy chief Friday morning.
Farica Prince took the oath of office to officially become the Deputy Chief at a ceremony filled with community members and dignitaries.
Prince, a member of the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation in Manitoba, has spent many years in Indigenous policing across Manitoba and Alberta.
The new deputy chief became emotional when a community elder honoured her with a blanket ceremony after she took her oath. Prince says she is grateful for the opportunity.
“It’s been a challenging and rewarding journey over the past twenty years and I definitely never imagined myself to be invited into this type of role, with this type of an organization, and in such a beautiful way as this,” said Prince. “Let me share with you that I don’t plan on failing the organization and I don’t plan on failing the community.”
During her remarks, Prince spoke on truth and reconciliation, residential schools, missing and murdered Indigenous women, the sixties scoop, and the over-representation of Indigenous people in the justice system.
She says all of these issues will play a huge part in her role.
“I recently had a conversation with someone who said they were tired of hearing about Indigenous issues and I half laughed and said imagine how tiring it is living it,” said Prince.
The new deputy chief is taking over the position from Jason Stonechild who retired last December.
(PHOTO: A Screenshot of Farica Prince taking her oath of office)