by Doug Ashbury
Northern News Services

NNSL (Sep 12/97) - Foot patrols are very much part of Yellowknife policing, Sgt. Wylie Grimm and Const. Cliff McKay say.

But there is not always time or staff to take to the street often, they add.

Foot patrols are set up by the watch commander or by individual officers, Sgt. Wylie says.

"It is a requirement for our members to do foot patrols. There is a concentrated effort to do foot patrols (but) there is no set schedule. If they weren't doing foot patrols, we'd certainly find out why."

He admits he'd like to do more foot patrols himself but there simply isn't time.

During each watch, or 12-hour shift, there are up to seven Yellowknife RCMP officers on duty and there is a foot patrol during the shift, he said.

The majority of foot patrols are made in the downtown core, especially around bars at closing time. Over half the time spent on foot is at night.

A foot patrol may be two hours. It may be 45 minutes.

While on foot patrol, officers, two or more to a patrol, take a mobile radio.

"The idea is to be visible so people can approach you. I think the bottom line is to be visible whether you're on foot or in a patrol car," McKay says.

Sometimes, being on foot can create difficulties, he adds. Response time to an incident is longer if you are three blocks from you're patrol car, he said.

And patrol cars are useful when dealing with intoxicated individuals, he says.

Officers make the call on whether or not to go out on a foot patrol. But often complaints and investigations take priority, he says.

"I'd like to do more foot patrols but it's not always possible. There is only so much time and only so many members in Yellowknife."

The Yellowknife RCMP detachment has 28 members. "We've all done foot patrols. They are being done. Some people think they are not being done," McKay says.