The Yellowknife RCMP completed a routine audit last fall which addressed some of the concerns of former detachment commander Staff Sgt. Terry Scott.

Insp. Greg Morrow says he expects a new agreement between the Yellowknife RCMP and the territorial government to be a good news story. - Darren Stewart/NNSL photo

Scott warned Yellowknifers last spring that "services enjoyed by the community cannot be maintained with the resources available to us."

Insp. Greg Morrow, who joined "G" Division headquarters in Yellowknife last Aug. 1, said there is a new partnership being drafted with the territorial justice department that will take the audit's findings into account.

Morrow wouldn't comment on the specifics of the deal but said he was confident the local force would get the resources it needs to maintain its service.

"I'm thinking this will take another two months," he said.

"I'm pretty sure it will be a good news story."

"I fully expect our service to improve."

The talks with the department involve policing across the NWT, he said.

Morrow, who has 30 years experience with the RCMP, highlighted three key recommendations for the force and its administrators that came out of the audit.

The first is to establish better dialogue with the people who are being policed and in develop strategies focusing on prevention.

The second is a call for more resources and to make effective use of current resources.

The third is to keep open lines of communication with city administrators and the territorial government.

"It's the same as any other audit I've ever been involved with," said Morrow.

"It comes down to systems, process, checks and balances and keeping in touch with the community."

While the new agreement is drafted with the GNWT, Morrow said the force is going through its operations looking for ways to make it more efficient.

"Everything is on the table here," he said. "We're starting from scratch."

For example, they will use a new computer program to schedule shifts in the most efficient way possible, compare their operations with other similar sized forces in the country and look for more ways to carry out preventative, proactive policing.

"It's the difference between looking to prevent crime and waiting until it happens and reacting to it."

Morrow said some police resources across the NWT are being stretched, which was also outlined in the audit.

"We have about 18,000 people in Yellowknife and about 28 members policing them," he said.

"I don't know how that compares to cities down South, I'm not going to go down that road. The bottom line is the three recommendations of the audit."

The audit was a standard procedure completed no less frequently than every five years by every RCMP detachment.