The Thunder Bay Police Services Board (TBPSB) continues to back the efforts of the Thunder Bay Police Service.

That message emerged from a statement released late Saturday afternoon as the board met to address growing calls from Indigenous groups to disband the Thunder Bay Police Service (TBPS).

“We recognize members of the Thunder Bay Police Service, who are showing a commitment to transforming the service while serving their community,” the statement read. “We support these efforts in addition to the ongoing commitments to provide more training, knowledge, and skill development for members of the Service. The board recognizes that the journey of rebuilding trust with the community takes time. It requires us to acknowledge the errors of the past, and the hurt it has caused, while focusing our efforts on the work set forth in our Strategic Plan.”

The statement added the ultimate goal is to end systemic racism within the force and provide leadership in rebuilding trust with our Indigenous communities.