Kevin Wilson
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Feb 06/02) - After two weeks of relative quiet, crime in the city spiked upwards last weekend.

Police answered 71 calls over the last weekend, compared with 48 and 47 calls in two of the previous three weekends. Information for the weekend of Jan. 19-21 was not immediately available.

The rise in calls closely corresponds with a rise in temperatures in Yellowknife.

"We kept it pretty much under control," said Sgt. Al McCambridge.

Detachment Commander Staff Sgt. Terry Scott said while calls generally don't go away during the cold weather, police often find the nature of the calls change.

"Generally we get...more domestic disturbance calls (during colder weather)," said Scott.

"People tend to stay inside when it's cold," he added.

Police are quick to point out that last weekend's numbers do not reflect actual criminal charges laid.

They are investigating four assaults, three thefts and break-and-enters, and three impaired driving cases.

Another 34 persons were lodged in cells, mostly for public drunkenness.

McCambridge said that the colder weather of the previous weekends led to extra motor vehicle accident calls.

"That's in large part due to the ice fog, and the exhaust hanging (in the air), and people driving beyond their capabilities," he said.

McCambridge said no extra officers were on duty to cope with an influx of visitors in Yellowknife last weekend for Arctic Winter Games trials.

"With AWG trials, we find the participants have very positive lifestyles, so we don't have a problem there," he added.