Dawn Ostrem
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 03/01) - Without waiting for the numbers to tell the story in the RCMP's monthly report to the city, police say crime has gone up.

Documented violations of the law have risen compared with last year, said Staff Sgt. Al McCambridge last week. In September crime rates usually drop but this time they have at least stayed the same as the busier summer months.

"Violent crimes in the last few weeks have been on the increase," he said, referring specifically to assaults.

"Usually in the fall there is a decrease in calls for service but I haven't seen that," he added. "The (usual) decrease may be because people are back from holidays or school is back in session."

The September long weekend was comparable to summer long weekends when it came to phones ringing at the detachment.

From Aug. 29 to Sept. 3 the phone rang at least 70 times. Each call sent patrol cars to scenes of investigation. The people lodged in cells over the weekend also numbered about 70.

The following weekend police were called about 46 times, even though there was no obvious or common reason for extra partying or celebration involving drinking alcohol.

Straining to come up with some sort of rhyme or reason, obscure or not, for the numbers, all McCambridge could suggest was the appearance of a full moon that weekend.

What concerns police is the amount of violent crimes being reported.

"Alcohol is a major factor in the majority of them," McCambridge said.

He said he records every kind of assault, including those causing bodily harm, assault with a weapon, and sexual assaults.

There are a total of 29 officers in Yellowknife who do not all work on patrol duty.

"The balance are on the watch," McCambridge said, but that is not to say that is who we have policing every day.

A number of funded positions are for those on vacation or other leaves of absence.