The Nunavik Police Service (NPS; french: Service de police du Nunavik, iu, ᓄᓇᕕᒻᒥ ᐳᓖᓰᑦ ᐱᒍᑦᔨᔨᖏᑦ) delivers regular policing services in the 14 remote northern villages of the Kativik Region. The headquarters of the NPS are located in

Kuujjuaq Kuujjuaq (; iu, ᑰᑦᔪᐊᖅ, i=no or iu, ᑰᔾᔪᐊᖅ, i=no, label=none, "Great River"), formerly known as and by other names, is a former Hudson's Bay Company outpost at the mouth of the Koksoak River on Ungava Bay that has become t ...

, and detachments operate in each community. The service was formerly called the Kativik Regional Police Force (KRPF) until renamed on February 25, 2021. In accordance with the First Nations Policing Program, the governments of Canada and Quebec, respectively, provide 52% and 48% of funding for the NPS under a tripartite agreement with the

Kativik Regional Government The Kativik Regional Government (french: Administration régionale Kativik, KGR) encompasses most of the Nunavik region of Quebec. Nunavik is the northern half of the Nord-du-Québec administrative region and includes all the territory north of ...

Mission statement

Pursuant to the ''Police Act'', the mission of the NPS is to maintain peace, order and public security, to prevent and repress crime and offences under the law and municipal by-laws of the Kativik Region, and to apprehend offenders. In pursuing its mission, the NPS ensures the safety of persons and property, safeguards rights and freedoms, respects and remains attentive to the needs of victims, and cooperates with the northern villages of the Kativik Region in a manner consistent with cultural pluralism.

History

The

Royal Canadian Mounted Police The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; french: Gendarmerie royale du Canada; french: GRC, label=none), commonly known in English as the Mounties (and colloquially in French as ) is the federal police, federal and national police service of ...

(RCMP) delivered policing services to the inhabitants of

Northern Quebec Northern Quebec (french: le nord du Québec) is a geographic term denoting the northerly, more remote and less populated parts of the Canadian province of Quebec.Alexandre Robaey"Charity group works with Indigenous communities to feed Northern Quebe ...

until 1961, when these services were assumed by the

Sûreté du Québec The (SQ; , ) is the provincial police service for the Canadian province of Quebec. No official English name exists, but the agency's name is sometimes translated to 'Quebec Provincial Police' or QPP in English-language sources. The headquarters ...

. The KRPF was established in 1995 in accordance with the spirit of the ''James Bay and Northern Québec Agreement'' signed in 1975 and pursuant to sections 369 and 370 of the ''Act Respecting Northern Villages and the Kativik Regional Government''. The KRPF began delivering services on April 1, 1996.

Ranks

Mascot

The official mascot of the NPS is named Nanuk, the word for polar bear in

Inuktitut Inuktitut (; , syllabics ; from , "person" + , "like", "in the manner of"), also Eastern Canadian Inuktitut, is one of the principal Inuit languages of Canada. It is spoken in all areas north of the tree line, including parts of the provinces o ...

. His place of residence has not been identified, but he has been seen in various communities around

Nunavik Nunavik (; ; iu, ᓄᓇᕕᒃ) comprises the northern third of the province of Quebec, part of the Nord-du-Québec region and nearly coterminous with Kativik. Covering a land area of north of the 55th parallel, it is the homeland of the I ...

. He especially likes events related to prevention and awareness, and there have also been several reported sightings of him in community parties.Interview with Interim Captain Shaun Longstreet Sr., February 18, 2018

References

{{Law enforcement agencies in Canada Law enforcement agencies of Quebec Government agencies established in 1995 1995 establishments in Quebec