Tara Kearsey
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Aug 14/02) - The results of an internal audit conducted to determine how overworked the Yellowknife RCMP are is "not actually for public consumption."

That's the word from Staff Sgt. Tom Steggles, who confirmed last week the audit has been completed.

"Not saying that in some time some of it couldn't be released or wouldn't be released ... but it is a protected document right now," he said.

Steggles said it's "not that there's any big secret there."

But he added, "it hasn't been shared with all the people that need to know about it and need to see it type of thing, and it certainly hasn't been implemented."

"So it would be a little early if any of it was to be released."

Following a winter in which former RCMP Yellowknife detachment commander Staff Sgt. Terry Scott warned that his officers were burning out, the Regina-based audit team arrived in May to begin their review.

Looking to improve service

Scott told Yellowknifer in April that the auditors would be looking for ways to improve or streamline operations.

In late February police announced that "the services enjoyed by the community cannot be maintained with the resources available to us."

To relieve the pressure on officers, police said intoxicated persons complaints would receive the lowest priority and the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program was slated for the chopping block.

But after a public outcry, GNWT Justice Minister Roger Allen announced "there will be no immediate changes to the level of policing provided in Yellowknife."

Scott left his Yellowknife posting in June and was transferred to Saskatchewan.

Steggles said some details of the final report may be released to the public in September.