Organized Crime Initiative

The Akwesasne Mohawk Territory includes land on both sides of the St. Lawrence and straddles the Ontario-Quebec interprovincial boundary and the Canada-United States international border. Given the location and access to water, the Akwesasne Mohawk Territory has been identified by law enforcement agencies as an illegal transit point for many commodities, including contraband tobacco. Criminal organizations operating in and around the Akwesasne territory have historically sought to exploit the geographic location.

Since Akwesasne straddles multiple jurisdictions, responding to this criminal activity requires law enforcement agencies to work together.

The Initiative seeks to enhance the capacity of the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service (AMPS) to enable it to participate in a Joint Investigative Team (JIT) that includes the RCMP and other law enforcement agencies operating in the area. Public Safety provides funds to AMPS to facilitate this inter-agency cooperation.

The main objective of the JIT is to investigate and disrupt organized criminal activity in and around Akwesasne. Currently, the Initiative provides funding to support up to eleven full time officers in the AMPS JIT unit (AMPS-JIT).

Summary and additional information can be found here