The Sûreté du Québec will be opening a new police station in Val-d'Or that will be staffed by a joint force of aboriginal and non-aboriginal officers.
The SQ Director General Martin Prud'homme says the new detachment is a direct response to recent claims by a number of aboriginal women that they were systematically abused by SQ officers.
Prud'homme tells the Journal de Montreal the allegations and subsequent decision by the Crown not to lay charges broke a bond of trust between the aboriginal community and police.
16 police officers will be assigned to the new station in a pilot project which will be located in the city centre.
Prud'homme says key issues in the region include addiction and homelessness.