MONTREAL -- The Quebec government's announcement of $18 million dedicated to improving Indigenous policing is being met by mixed reactions.

“It's a good effort, I applaud that they're trying,” said Native Women's Shelter Executive Director Nakuset. “Where I'm a little bit more concerned is that if you look across Canada and you see all the killings that have happened to Indigenous people by police, I'm not quite sure they're addressing that issue. If I want to enter the police force and police can be perceived as biased, what has changed in order for me to feel comfortable coming into that institution?”

Tensions between the province's police and Indigenous communities came to a head four years ago when a dozen women came forward alleging they had been sexually assaulted by Surete du Quebec officers in Val D'Or.

The Crown did not pursue charges against the officers.

The incident led to the Viens Commission, whose findings led to this week's announcement by Public Security Minister Genevieve Gilbeault.

The money is aimed at getting police to better adapt to the realities of Indigenous communities, particular when it comes to incidents of domestic violence and sexual assault. Part of the funds will be dedicated to training two dozen Indigenous police officers per year at Quebec's police academy.

But Nakuset said a problem could be just getting people interested in becoming police.

“In Montreal, there's very few Indigenous police officers. We do have an Aboriginal liaison officer, but he's Italian,” she said. “Non-Indigenous people are filling Indigenous roles and when I asked the SPVM about why they don't just hire one of the couple people they have, they said they weren't interested.”

In Kahnawake, police duties are carried out the peacekeepers who have jurisdiction over the territory. Some money will go towards training them in how to better handle domestic violence and sexual assault cases. In Kanasatake, no such police service exists, though Mohawk Council of Kanesatake Grand Chief Serge Simon said there is a desire to have one.

“Like every community, we have crime,” he said. “We have socioeconomic problems that lead to other problems. Policing is just one answer.”