Syilx Community Safety Office

The syilx Community Safety Office seeks to enhance deeper understandings and practices of sqilxʷcawt (Our Native Ways) cultural values in collaborative community safety, ensuring well-being of all Okanagan Indian Band Members, with a strong focus on Youth, Culturally responsive crime prevention, Restorative Justice, incident supports, education and advocacy.

The syilx Community Safety Office focuses on culturally-grounded community well-being through initiatives like, Youth Leadership Council, Restorative Justice, Cultural Safety Education, Community Education, Advocacy and Resource Supports for Incident Response and Mental Health needs.

The syilx Community Safety office is a project based, grant funded department that receives funding from Public Safety Canada.

What’s Happening at the syilx Community Safety Office

Programs and Services we offer

Youth Leadership Council: The purpose of the Youth Leadership Council is to provide a platform for syilx Youth ages 14-25 to actively participate in decision-making processes, advocate for the needs and interests of the Youth community and contribute to the overall development and empowerment of syilx Youth within the Okanagan Indian Band. The vision of the Youth Leadership Council is to create a supportive and inclusive environment where Indigenous Youth can thrive, develop leadership skills, and actively contribute to the betterment of our community. The mission of the Youth Leadership Council is to represent the voices and interests of Youth, promote cultural preservation and revitalization, address issues affecting Youth, and collaborate with community leaders and organizations to create positive change.

For more info on participating with YLC visit the YLC section of the page, or e-mail [email protected]

Restorative Justice: This program supports with justice system navigation. A community led restorative justice program that centers syilx ethical frameworks (tmixʷ-centrism), enowkinwixw decision process, and standard restorative justice practices (victim, voice, accountability, reintegration).

Connect with Michael Ochoa at [email protected] for more information, or if you need support navigating the justice system.

Wellbriety: Wellbriety is a holistic path to recovery and balance in life that integrates sobriety with wellness across all aspects of life. It is a culturally based healing philosophy that extends beyond mere abstinence from substances. It encompasses mental, physical, and spiritual balance. The movement addresses the whole person within the context of their family and community, promoting long term health and cultural reconnection. The Wellbriety movement is deeply rooted in Native values and spirituality, such as the teachings of the Medicine Wheel, the sacred hoop, and the natural world.

You can attend a Wellbriety meeting on:
Saturday’s from 12:00 – 2:00 at the Syilx Community Safety Wellness Space (118 Head of the Lake Rd)
Thursday’s from 6:00 – 8:00 at Kikanee Estates in town (5701 Heritage Dr).

Connect with Michael Ochoa at [email protected] | 250-306-8830, for more information or to get support with substance use.

Cultural Safety Education: We offer a 2 day workshop with Eric Mitchell and Chris Marchand to support Cultural Safety Education. This workshop is an opportunity to learn more about syilx Identity, Pre-contact, Canada’s Hidden History and Understanding Truth & Reconciliation. We strive to provide a safe and welcoming space for people to learn and reflect. This is open to OKIB members, community members, organizations and staff.

Contact the syilx Community Safety Team [email protected] for more information or to book a training.

Community Education: The Public Safety Office offers a comprehensive range of workshops and resources aimed at enhancing community safety awareness. We can provide sessions on legal rights, mental health supports, cultural understanding, leadership training and critical social issues such as cyberbullying, racism, and youth gang recruitment. Open houses are conducted to familiarize the community with available services, ensuring that support and resources are readily accessible to all. If there is information related to community safety that you would like to learn more about, connect with the syilx Community Safety Team.

Contact the syilx Community Safety Team [email protected] for more information.

Advocacy: We have access to a robust support network through a variety of avenues. We can facilitate referrals and connections to essential resources, including counsellors / psychologists, culturally grounded drug & addiction counselling or treatment centres, justice workers, housing services, and physical and mental health professionals. Our team is committed to direct advocacy, ensuring that individuals receive the support they need within hospitals, schools, and from various service providers. We offer assistance with making a report to police (non emergent), administrative paperwork, coordinate resource needs, and provide support for basic meal and hygiene requirements. Additionally, we offer debriefing services following incidents to help process and recover.

Contact the syilx Community Safety Team [email protected] for more information or to connect on any of these services further.

OKIB Youth Leadership Council

Click here to go to the OKIB Youth Leadership Council web page to read about the current representatives.

What Happens Upstream Youth Leadership Conference

Follow the Journey of the OKIB Youth Leadership Council and the journey of the ‘What Happens Upstream’ Youth Conference coming to fruition. Video production credit: Josheph Kafka, Eagle Vision Agency.

What Happens Upstream – Comprehensive reports on Youth Conferences

The OKIB Youth Council in collaboration with the Public Safety team has released their comprehensive report on the ‘What Happens Upstream’ Youth Conference which happened last year.

Read all about the 2024 Conference and reflections on the event here: What Happens Upstream Youth Conference 2024 Wrap up & Reflections

Read the brand new report for the 2025 What Happens Upstream Conference below

What Happens Upstream 2025 Youth Conference Wrap up Reflections

Public Safety Reports

Ntytyix Action Plan Reports

Public Safety Ntytyix Action Plan Annual Report 2025-2026

Public Safety Ntytyix Action Plan Annual Report 2022 to 2023

Public Safety Ntytyix Action Plan phase ii Final Report 2022

Annual Reports

Public Safety Final Report 2020 to 2025

Public Safety Annual Report 2023 to 2024

Public Safety Annual Report 2021-2022

Public Safety Annual Report 2020-2021

Update Reports

Public Safety Report October 2023 to March 2024

Public Safety Report October 2022 to March 2023

Public Safety Report April 1 to September 30, 2022

Public Safety Report October 2021 to March 31, 2022

Public Safety Report April 1 to September 30, 2022

Public Safety Report October 2021 to March 31, 2022

Public Safety Report April to September 2021

Public Safety Report October 2020 to March 2021

Public Safety Report April to September 2020

Resources

Community Safety Toolkit for Youth

This toolkit is a heartfelt prayer for the safety and well-being of all sqilx’w impacted by ongoing colonial violence our community continues to face. It is our responsibility to collectively contribute to your belonging of safety in our homelands.

Check out the Community Safety Toolkit for Youth here.

As the feet of our young ones touch the ground, we pray that they feel a deep sense of connection, safety, and worthiness of loving kinships and relationships. This toolkit is a result of the collective voices of our community, local experts with lived experiences, who poured their hearts into this project to support the well-being and personal safety of our beloved sqilx’w. Together, let’s continue our journey of nurturing our strength as a community where everyone can feel safe.

Calling Community Members to Join the Community Consultative Group (CCG)

The Community Consultative Group (CCG) is a committed team of OKIB members who work alongside the Public Safety Department and Indigenous Policing Services (RCMP) to support a safer, more connected community.

The CCG acts as a liaison role between the community and the RCMP. Many volunteers have been part of this group for years, bringing local knowledge, lived experience, and guidance that help shape priorities and responses across the community. The CCG provides a space for members to share concerns, identify solutions, and strengthen relationships.

Their work supports public safety education, youth and Elder initiatives, communication, enforcement when needed, traffic management, and ongoing relationship-building across all areas of the community. The dedication of CCG volunteers helps keep the community informed, involved, and supported. Their efforts reflect shared values and the commitment to creating a safer and more resilient place for everyone.

CCG attendees meet for a few hours, to identify issues, projects, events, gap in policing, etc. within the OKIB community and work with RCMP to resolve identified concerns.

Please let Cst Neil Horne, know if you are interested in joining the CCG and able to attend the next meeting. Email at [email protected]

The below are the dates for the Community Consultative Group (CCG) meetings, for the next year.

June 16 2026 – Tuesday
August 19 2026 – Wednesday
October 13 2026 – Tuesday
December 15 2026 – Tuesday

All meetings will be held at the n’kmaplqs Wellness Space – 118 Head of the Lake Rd. The meetings will be held from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm.

Meet Constable Neil Horne, RCMP Indigenous Policing Services Liaison

I want to thank Chief and Council and the members of OKIB for the opportunity to be your RCMP Liaison Police Officer, through RCMP’s First Nations Policing Program. The program has three main goals:

-To enhance community policing services

-To support culturally responsive policing in First Nation and Inuit communities

-To recognize input from Indigenous communities of policing services received.

I would like to acknowledge that I have the privilege to work on the unceded territory of Syilx Okanagan peoples.

I have spent 20 years in social work prior to joining the RCMP, and I understand the importance of positive community engagement. I am a husband, father to 4 beautiful children and enjoy being active in their lives through coaching various sports they partake in. If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or just want to say hi, please feel free to connect with me, anytime you see me out and about in your community or at the Public Safety Office.

Also starting February 2023 I will have dedicated office hours every Tuesday and Thursday from 12:30to 3:30 at the Public Safety Office.

Remember: Anytime you require police services call 911 for all emergencies and for any non-emergency reports, you can call the Armstrong RCMP Detachment at 250-546-3028.

I look forward to hearing from you and working with everyone, to help maintain OKIB as a safe community to live, work and play.

My Contact Information:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 250-546-3028

Syilx Restorative Justice Program

See the flyer to learn more about the Syilx Restorative Justice Program

Videos

The Role of Youth Justice Work at OKIB

https://youtu.be/4-eODTZPrKs

Comprehensive Safety Strategy Survey

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4Eav1Bon3I

The Role of an RCMP Liaison

https://youtu.be/cPCssYpA5mk

Report on Youth Homelessness

The Public Safety unit has published the following documents on the subject of youth homelessness in the region. Please check out the report. If you are seeking housing or counselling, the Resource Library is a comprehensive list of resources that may be able to help.

The Challenges Youth Face and the Movement to Over Come Them

Housing and Counselling Resource Library