B.C. First Nation files Charter challenge over RCMP refusal to enforce bylaws

Inaction by the RCMP has emboldened criminals to enter and stay on First Nation reserve lands without the fear of consequences, worsening a drug crisis and violence, the Heiltsuk Tribal Council says.The small First Nation on British Columbia’s Central Coast said it is taking the attorney general of Canada to court, arguing its Charter rights have been violated because police refuse to enforce its bylaws, including those around trespassing that would allow officers to remove people engaged in dangerous activities.Elected Chief Marilyn Slett told a news conference Tuesday that her community in Bella Bella, B.C., is experiencing a crisis due to drugs and drug trafficking and that harms from overdoses and sexual violence are made worse because of the Mounties refusal to enforce Heiltsuk law.