The Thunder Bay Police Service says it is not “necessary” or “practical” to have the RCMP reinvestigate the recent deaths of three Indigenous people.

Acting police chief Sylvie Hauth told a Thunder Bay news conference Wednesday that she didn’t think an outside force was needed to investigate the deaths of Tammy Keeash, 17, Josiah Begg, 14, and Stacy DeBungee, 41.

Tammy, a member of North Caribou Lake First Nation, was living in a Thunder Bay group home when she missed her curfew May 6. Her body was found in the Neebing-McIntyre Floodway the next day.

Josiah, from Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation, was last seen May 6 in Thunder Bay, where he had travelled to with his father for medical appointments. His body was found in the river nearly two weeks later.

DeBungee was a Rainy River First Nation man whose body was found in the McIntyre River on Oct. 19, 2015.

The Thunder Bay police is under investigation by the Office of the Independent Police Review Directorate, a civilian watchdog organization, regarding allegations of “systemic racism” concerning how they handle Indigenous death and disappearance cases. The Thunder Bay Police Services Board is also under investigation for how it supervises the police. That investigation is being carried out by the Ontario Civilian Police Commission.

Last month, the northern chiefs of 77 Ontario First Nations — Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler, Grand Council Treaty #3 Ogichidaa Francis Kavanaugh and Rainy River First Nation Chief Jim Leonard — held a news conference in Toronto to demand the RCMP be asked to reinvestigate the deaths because the community has no confidence in either the Thunder Bay or Ontario Provincial Police forces. Kavanaugh said Treaty #3 is unhappy with how the OPP have handled the recent deaths of two young women — Delaine Copenace, 16, and Azraya Kokopenace, 14.

“Statements were made at a recent news conference held by Nishnawbe Aski Nation Leaders that the Thunder Bay Police Service (should) have the RCMP investigate Tammy and Josiah’s deaths. At this time, we do not believe that this is a practical or necessary action to take,” Hauth, who has taken over for Chief J.P. Levesque while he is on leave, said in statements released after the press conference.

“The OIPRD will be reviewing these two death investigations as part of their current review, and we are fully co-operating with the director on this matter.”

However, the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network reported the Thunder Bay Police are looking into the possibility that First Nations youth are being targeted in the city. The APTN added that Hauth commented at the press conference, “I don’t see our current situation is a crisis.”

Fiddler, speaking from Toronto, said it was “insensitive and disrespectful” of the police leadership to say that they do not see a crisis when Indigenous people are being found dead.

“It is very dismissive of First Nations’ concerns. It is insulting to the families who have come forward and to the leadership of the communities,” Fiddler said. Their comments were not helpful, he added. “I think it is obvious the whole thing is just a public relations exercise. And it is obvious they are in full damage control.”

On Tuesday, OPP Commissioner Vince Hawkes released a statement to “clarify” the force’s role and say they have reviewed the case of DeBungee after the Thunder Bay Police requested they do so.

The OPP report is now in the hands of the Thunder Bay police, and it is up to them to make the results public, Hawkes said. However, if charges need to be laid, the OPP would lay them.

The OIPRD began its investigation after Rainy River and DeBungee’s family complained that the TBPS damaged its credibility when it announced DeBungee’s death was not suspicious just three hours after his body was recovered. The OIPRD are also examining the “information and evidence” surrounding the deaths of the seven First Nations students who died while going to high school in Thunder Bay between 2000 and 2011. Five of the students’ bodies were found in the water.

Hauth said the Thunder Bay Police first asked the OPP to review DeBungee’s case but at the time, the OPP said they “would not do so since the investigation was the subject of a complaint to the OIPRD.”

“The OPP was approached again by the Thunder Bay Police Service in January 2017 to conduct a review of this case. At that time, the OPP were able to take on the review which was started on Feb. 1, 2017. We were provided with a copy of the OPP review on May 15, 2017,” she said.

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However, DeBungee’s family and Leonard had no idea this review was happening. In an open letter to Hawkes, Leonard said they requested OPP help to review the cases six times and their requests were ignored.

“For the sake of clarity and truth-telling, I have delivered a letter to the commissioner of the OPP detailing his refusals to answer me or the DeBungee family and, ultimately, his refusal to conduct an investigation,” said Leonard in a June 6 statement.