John William Syrette

Chief of Police of the Anishinabek Police Service (APS), John Syrette, came to the Anishinabek Police Service in October of 1996 following nine years with the Ontario Provincial Police (O.P.P.) and the O.P.P. administered First Nations Policing Program.

Chief Syrette is a former member of the Canadian Armed Forces (Reserve) where he served with the 49th Field Regiment RCA for nine years. He commenced his career in 1987 at his home community of Garden River, Ontario. In 1990, Chief Syrette joined the Ontario Provincial Police serving at Thunder Bay detachment and the First Nations Policing Section at the O.P.P. General Headquarters in Orillia, Ontario. Chief Syrette returned to operational policing in 1996 when he accepted a position at the Garden River detachment of the then recently created Anishinabek Police Service.

Chief Syrette was promoted to the position of Regional Commander as the APS expanded to include 16 First Nations. He was promoted to police chief in December 2005. Chief Syrette has been a member of the First Nations Chiefs of Police Association (FNCPA) since 1998 and served as the President of the FNCPA for two terms and has been a member of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police since 2006. Chief Syrette was the co-chair of the Justice Partners Serving Victims Committee and has spoken at several forums advocating for the needs of victims of violence in First Nations. Chief Syrette currently is a committee member of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police Victims of Crime Committee.

Chief Syrette sits as a committee member on the North Shore Tribal Council (NSTC). The APS, NSTC and Medic Alert recently launched a jointly managed fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) registration campaign to assist community members with FASD when interacting with police.

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