Derek Neary
Northern News Services

FORT LIARD (Mar 05/99) - Fort Liard's senior administrative officer, John McKee, met with RCMP Staff Sgt. Jack Kruger of the Hay River detachment Tuesday regarding a shortage of RCMP officers in the community.

A corporal and constable were recently transferred from the Fort Liard detachment to Yellowknife. A replacement constable arrived from Yellowknife last week, but the absence of a corporal means there's often only one constable on duty in Fort Liard, a community of close to 600 people which also has a bylaw officer. The Fort Liard RCMP detachment is also responsible for the neighbouring communities of Trout Lake and Nahanni Butte.

Mayor Joanne Deneron said residents had expressed some concern over the decreasing highway patrols despite the increasing volume of traffic in the area.

"When you're short a member, then patrols sort of get left by the wayside," she said.

In addition, the phone system is often being relayed to RCMP headquarters in Yellowknife because there is nobody staffing the detachment, she added.

"And, like any other place, people have concerns about drugs as well as alcohol," she said.

Kruger, who flew into Fort Liard for the meeting, assured McKee that the new corporal would be arriving shortly, but there has been a week's delay due to extenuating circumstances, according to Deneron. An exact date for his arrival was not known.

"The community is looking forward to building credibility with the RCMP. There were a lot of outstanding issues that were plaguing the previous RCMP that were in the community here," Deneron said. "They hope to start with a clean slate and make some amends in the community."