Derek Neary
Northern News Services

NNSL (May 08/98) - During the week, RCMP night shifts are relatively uneventful and full of paperwork, says Const. Scott MacPherson. Friday and Saturday nights, however, the action can be non-stop.

"It's 95 per cent routine and Þve per cent terror," MacPherson said of his 12-hour shifts.

MacPherson, who has nearly one year of experience in Yellowknife after two years in Iqaluit and a total of nine years on the job, works roughly four straight nights and then receives four off.

He begins his duty at 7 p.m. with a debrieÞng from day shift. Often, the same constable who Þlled him in will return at 7 a.m. the following morning so MacPherson can update him on any developments.

On Wednesday evening, after debrieÞng, MacPherson jumped in his RCMP cruiser to patrol the city.

7:17 p.m. MacPherson tried to serve a summons but nobody was home. Whenever he exits the car he radios the dispatcher with his location and reports back upon re-entering the vehicle. He never knows when he might have to be contacted for potential emergencies, he explained.

7:29 p.m. He pulls alongside some kids climbing on a shed in Old Town. they claim to be looking for their dog. "Just be careful on the roof, guys," MacPherson warns.

7:48 p.m. He runs a plate check on a car driving through Kam Lake Industrial Park. Everything checks out. The car isn't reported stolen and the plates are registered.

7:59 p.m. At the intersection of Range Lake Road and Old Airport Road, a young man pulls alongside and motions to roll down the window. He complains that someone in a dirty, blue compact damaged his passenger-side mirror.

MacPherson asks him to stop by the detachment in a few hours to discuss it and possibly Þll out a report.

8:06 p.m. A car driving around the airport loop is doing 70 km/h in a 45 zone. MacPherson pulls him over for going "a little too quick." The driver is issued a warning.

"It leaves him with a pretty good feeling," MacPherson explains. "He wasn't causing any real danger."

9:01 p.m. Back at the detachment, there is a call of an assault at a bar. An intoxicated man was left with a bloody nose. He is taken to Stanton Regional Hospital for treatment by another constable.

10:04 p.m. A man is reported to be unconscious outside a bar. He is taken to the cells for the night.

Generally, it gets busier around 2 a.m., when the bars close, according to MacPherson. A total of six people were placed in the drunk tank Wednesday. Over the weekends, that number can swell to 50 or more.

Between calls, MacPherson tries to make headway on three Þles that he has to update. While on patrol, he was keeping an eye out for a couple of runaways. He will call their parents and social services to Þnd out if there has been any progress.

"There's a lot of administrative work to our job," he said. "It's not just driving around."

Some nights, he spend an hour or two at one of the city's community policing stations, where he can interact with people who stop by.

"The public is your best asset," he said.

All in all, MacPherson is satisÞed with his job. "If I didn't like it, I wouldn't be doing it."