Force says the police car emblazoned with Indigenous art not for enforcement but education. Advocates say the gesture is ‘uncomfortable’ and ‘unsettling’ — especially amidst a drug-use crackdown they say targets Indigenous people

The Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) proudly showed off the newest tool in its law enforcement arsenal last week: a “reconciliation” cruiser, featuring symbols from Anishinaabe and Inuit cultures.

“Reconciliation requires action,” WPS Chief Gene Bowers told reporters on June 30. “This cruiser will be used to create spaces to share, listen and learn.”

But for the force’s critics, the timing of the symbolic gesture could not have been more inappropriate.