Indigenous policing are teetering on the edge of collapse

Plus, touring the U of T encampment and bracing for a very hot summer [The Star] First Up [By Kevin Jiang] By Kevin Jiang Good morning. Here’s the latest on a crisis in Indigenous policing, a look behind the scenes at the U of T protests and how Toronto is preparing for an extreme summer. DON’T MISS Nick Iwanyshyn for The Star policing [Rising violence, funding shortfalls: Indigenous police say Ottawa has left them teetering on the edge]( As Ontario’s Indigenous communities contend with a rising wave of violence and drug use, their community policing forces find themselves and their resources spread thinner, teetering on the edge of collapse. Community leaders say funding shortfalls, outdated equipment and staffing shortages are hampering the nine Indigenous police forces serving Ontario’s 86 First Nations Communities, Joy SpearChief-Morris reports. In response, the police chiefs have filed a complaint to the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal alleging Ottawa has engaged in discriminatory and chronic underfunding. If they do not reach an agreement on funding soon, many communities could be left without police service. [Take a look at the dire situation](. - More: In a previous complaint to the Human Rights Tribunal, the Indigenous Police Chiefs of Ontario sought $1.2 billion from Ottawa for racial discrimination and a failure to negotiate for equitable funding. They refiled the complaint in April after a year of no progress. - Wait, what? Issues including a lack of funding and manpower have led more than 20 Indigenous police forces to disband over the past 30 years. - Why it matters: [The battle over policing is happening in the midst of an increasing opioid crisis](. Since 2020, Six Nations has seen mental health problems, including more violent incidents linked to mental health, increase by 63 per cent — with drug use attributed to much of this, experts say. Nick Lachance/The Star u of t protests [Threats, assaults and a shared mission: Behind the scenes of U of T’s polarizing protest encampment]( As protests at U of T stretch into their second month, the Star’s Ben Cohen embarked on an extended tour of the encampment in hopes of understanding a movement whose message and meaning have been bitterly contested. While the university maintains the protests are a source of discriminatory and disruptive behaviour instilling fear in community members, encampment members say they are the ones being let down by a university that’s failing to protect them while supporting institutions contributing to Israel’s continued killing of Palestinians. [Take a look behind the curtain](. - Meanwhile: U of T president Meric Gertler finds himself walking a tightrope of diplomacy between the two sides. [Here’s what it’s like to steer the ship during a point of major tension](. - Go deeper: Encampment organizers expressed frustration around the university’s framing of the protests — [including one incident where video footage of a protester later charged with assault differed from the institution’s recount of what happened](. - Why it matters: Protesters are demanding U of T restructure its finances to divest from Israeli companies and institutions supporting the war in Gaza. [Here’s a closer look at what that actually means](. Richard Lautens/The Star climate crisis [“Clean air spaces,” popsicles for zoo animals and other ways Toronto plans to beat the heat]( As the city braces for more extreme weather in the summer months, Torontonians can breathe a little easier — literally. The city is installing six “cleaner air spaces,” buildings with advanced air filtration allowing people to catch a breath of fresh air amid another smoky wildfire season, Ben Spurr reports. With one report showing Toronto has been experiencing “hotter, wetter and wilder” weather in recent years — and that “these conditions are expected to worsen” — a slew of initiatives are being put in place to mitigate the consequences of an increasingly warm summer. [Here’s how the city is fighting back](. - The forecast: Environment Canada is warning of a heat wave expected to hit Ontario this week, bringing dangerously high temperatures — [feeling as hot as 45 C with humidity near the GTA and Ottawa](. - Bad news for: Lower-income Torontonians, as tree coverage is historically known to favour wealthier neighbourhoods, leaving others to bake in the sun. A new tool tracks tree coverage equity across the city — [take a look at the disparity](. WHAT ELSE Israel has killed scores of Palestinian families with its military assault on Gaza. [AP documented 60 people who have lost dozens or more](. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dissolved his War Cabinet [days after a key partner bolted from government](. LCBO workers [voted overwhelmingly in favour of going on strike](. Convenience stores can now apply for alcohol licences. [Here’s how easy it is](. Police have identified the [Scarborough teenager killed in “brazen, daylight” shooting](. 40 Years Cold: [Who were Susan Tice and Erin Gilmour, the victims in a 1983 cold case]( The Tony Awards took the stage Sunday. [The Star runs through all the winners from Broadway’s biggest night](. Canada Child Benefit payments go out this week and will increase next month. [Here’s how much Ontarians will get](. [Our TV critic weight in on the top 10 shows to watch this summer]( including “House of the Dragon,” “The Bear” and more. Now that it’s summer, what should you read? [These are the 20 best books for the sunny (and shady) days ahead](. The Blue Jays have found a workaround for their slumping hitters — [and should ride with it as far as it goes](. Is there such a thing as a good dad joke? [Here’s what some Toronto comedians believe](. POV David Rider/The Star [Doug Ford aided a NIMBY battle over affordable housing in Willowdale and now we’re all paying for it.]( CLOSE-UP Andrew Francis Wallace/The Star GERRARD ST. EAST: In celebration of Indigenous Peoples Month, the TTC is wrapping some of its streetcars in Indigenous artwork — including these depictions of Peter Bomberry and Rita McCue, who fell in love in a streetcar much like the one they now adorn. [Here’s their story](. Thank you for reading. You can reach me and the First Up team at [firstup@thestar.ca](mailto:firstup@thestar.ca?source=newsletter&utm_source=ts_nl&utm_medium=emailutm_email=6C53B63A8E3FAD70AD4EF13004527437&utm_campaign=frst_215239). I’ll see you back here tomorrow. 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