The Manitoba law enforcement community was shocked yesterday to learn of the sudden death of Manitoba First Nations Police (MFNP), Chief of Police Doug Palson. A text from a BPS peer informed me that his body had been recovered in a search after a house fire at his residence in Portage la Prairie, MB. Portage is the current headquarters of the MFNP. As I connected with more law enforcement peers, the magnitude of the loss within the MB law enforcement community was the resounding theme of our conversations.
Doug joined the Brandon Police Service as a Constable in 1988, two years prior to my swearing in with BPS. Throughout the 90's, I had the pleasure of working with Doug and watching his career with BPS blossom through a couple of promotions in rank. Over a decade later, Doug stepped away from BPS to join the management team of the Dakota Ojibway Police Service, formally the Dakota Ojibway Tribal Council Police. An opportunity to serve as Chief of Police in Dryden, Ontario, caused him to depart from MB several years later. Six years later in 2021, Doug returned to MB to begin as Top Cop for MFNP, formally known as DOPS, & previously as DOTC Police.
I recall my first conversation with Chief Palson upon his return to MFNP. It was at a 2022 graduation ceremony at Assiniboine Community College. MFNP had hired several of the Public Safety program graduates. Doug shared how glad he was to be back in MB and for a fresh opportunity to lead MFNP. His zeal for growth and desire to improve MFNP as a police service was evident throughout our conversation. I really sensed a renewal of hope within Doug and I believe this was in part due to his gratitude expressed for many of the recent hires by MFNP, and for those who have been productive and loyal employees of MFNP over the years.
My last conversation with Chief Palson was in 2024 at a fitness facility in Southport, MB. I was there on contract to provide instruction at the MFNP Recruit Training Course. The passion in his voice for MFNP was evident as he talked about expansion of services, new employment opportunities, and improvements with updates to police equipment. Doug had taken ownership of MFNP but credited success due to teamwork and positive relationships nurtured with the communities MFNP serve. Within less than three years, Doug had pioneered significant changes within MFNP including establishing their own 26 week recruit training course, never done before in their long history of service. His passion for MFNP expansion for service to additional First Nations Communities had led to successful contracts with new communities. The police service continues to grow in employees with another 20 police recruits currently more than half way through a recruit training course. Doug has been referred to as a trailblazer within First Nations community policing. He was proud of MFNP and of the police officers who serve the communities.
On a personal note, I will miss Doug's wit which most of the time took me off guard. It would come accompanied by a little smirk and a posture of waiting for a comeback. His physical stature was large, but so was his heart. During our last conversation, he expressed his appreciation for what I brought to MFNP by way of instruction and experience. He was a big man with a big heart; you will be missed by many, Doug. In a post on the MFNP FB Page, Dakota Ojibway Tribal Council Police Commission Chair Sherri Thomas wrote, "Our thoughts and prayers are with Chief Palson’s family as they deal with this tragedy. We are also sharing in the grief and loss which is being felt by the members of the Manitoba First Nations Police Service. We are all connected as a united police family at this time. Chief Palson was a passionate leader who loved our police service and its members who serve our 10 First Nation communities with pride and respect."
On behalf of our CPCA Leadership Team and police chaplains across our Nation, I send our deepest condolences to Doug's family, friends, MFNP family, and the law enforcement community which spans two provinces. Our thoughts and prayers are with you as we mourn the loss of a strong leader who was still in his prime.
A Funeral with Regimental Honours will take place on January 17 at 1300 hours. The location is the RBC Convention Centre, 375 York Ave Winnipeg, Manitoba. For full details and donation information, please see the file below.
Deepest condolences,
Rev. Bruce Ewanyshyn (Ret. BPS Constable & Honorary Chaplain)
CPCA President
ICPC Director of Region 1
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