WIIKWEMKOONG – April 10, 2025 – The Wikwemikong Tribal Police Service (WTPS) is pleased to announce the official launch of its new Offender Management Program, a strategic initiative designed to enhance community safety by supervising repeat, non-compliant, and high-risk offenders. This program serves as a key crime reduction strategy for the community.
“Our primary objective of the program is to reduce both intangible and tangible costs of crime for our community,” said Ron Gignac, Chief of Police, WTPS. “We are looking at intangible costs like victim pain and suffering or diminished quality of life within the community and tangible costs, such as those incurred when individuals engage in illegal activities instead of participating in the legitimate marketplace.”
The program employs a multi-layered and multi-phased approach aimed at increasing safety through early intervention with repeat and high-risk offenders. It involves tracking and monitoring these individuals while holding them accountable through various forms of intervention and engagement. A significant aspect of this initiative is collaboration with community partners and stakeholders.
“The program is already proving successful. In just one week, we’ve revealed eight cases where participants failed to comply,” said Chief Gignac which is a 40% noncompliance rate here in Wiikwemkoong. “Multiple individuals were arrested during these checks while arrest warrants are being sought for five others who remain non-compliant.”
As part of the launch of the Offender Management Program, the Wikwemikong Tribal Police Service (WTPS) targeted a residence known for harboring chronic and repeat offenders. A CDSA search warrant was executed, leading to the discovery of 14 individuals inside. Eleven were arrested on outstanding warrants, with several linked to other jurisdictions.
Among those arrested, four faced new charges related to drug trafficking and noncompliance with release orders. Efforts were made to return eight offenders to their respective jurisdictions for warrant execution. The operation also resulted in the seizure of cocaine valued at over $20,000, along with one firearm, several replica handguns, and a taser—further evidence of ongoing criminal activity within this location.
It is crucial to note that every individual found in the residence was a repeat offender with prior criminal charges who had ignored their release conditions. This example highlights a troubling cycle of recidivism that must be addressed collaboratively by community members, justice officials, and police partners to enhance public safety and prevent its continuation.
In the coming weeks, and as part of the offender management program, police will be interacting with individuals enrolled in the program. WTPS will continue working with the community and area service providers in offering assistance for the offenders in relation to any needs that the offenders might want to share at the time of visit such as access to jobs programs, addictions support, dependency resistance needs, and other community accessible programs. Further, the force will continue executing and enforcing the offender management program in collaboration with the Manitoulin OPP, and UCCM Police Service.
