Oneida Nation of the Thames urges council to appoint indigenous voice to police board

A local Indigenous leader is adding his voice to the chorus of people calling for more diversity on the police board.

In a letter, Chief Todd Cornelius of Oneida Nation of the Thames is “strongly recommending” that city council appoint Winston Williams to fill a vacancy on the London Police Services Board (LPSB).

“He would be an asset to your board as he knows the challenges First Nations communities face and he can provide proposed solutions based on lived experiences through community policing,” Cornelius wrote.

Three weeks ago, council faced backlash for selecting the mayor’s 2022 campaign manager Ryan Gauss to fill the vacant seat.

Gauss is employed as the Director of Operations and Personnel for MP Peter Fragiskatos and previously worked in a civilian role with the RCMP.

His appointment would leave only one person from a diverse background on the seven-member police board.

Under mounting pressure to choose a candidate that would enhance the board’s diversity, on April 4 council paused the appointment process.

The matter was referred back to the Strategic Priorities and Policy Committee.

On Tuesday, the committee will select five candidates for interviews from the original list of 54 applicants.

According to the letter from Cornelius, Winston Williams spent 40 years as a police officer in First Nations communities and with the Ontario Provincial Police.

“With a higher than acceptable rate of incarceration of Indigenous peoples, it is critical to have Indigenous voices on the London Police Services Board and Mr. Williams would be an ideal candidate to ensure our voices are heard,” the chief’s letter concluded.