Yellowknife (Apr 09/03) - Const. Dino Norris thinks many young aboriginals would jump at the chance to become a police officer if given the opportunity.

Norris and his colleagues at the Yellowknife RCMP headquarters are stepping up their campaign to recruit more aboriginals into the NWT force.

"We've always waited for them to come to us, now we're going to try to go and get them," said Const. Dino Norris.

He said the rapidly growing number of aboriginal youths could bring a lot to police in the North.

"My community gave me a lot. The elders gave me a lot of teaching in traditional ways," he said. "I do this to give some of that back. I think anybody would see it as an opportunity to do that."

About 20 of the 250 officers serving in "G" Division in the territories are aboriginal. Norris said he would like to see the proportion better reflect the larger population.

"There's got to be a levelling out there," he said. "Half of the population we're serving are aboriginal and there are many communities with a predominantly aboriginal population."

Recruiting officer Const. Violet Pokiak will coordinate the effort with school visits, advertising, information pamphlets and displays at college campuses.

Pokiak said the force can maintain closer ties with the community if they have more of an aboriginal presence, especially in the North's many traditional communities.

Making life better

"I think dealing with somebody from the same background can put people at ease, make them more comfortable," she said. "That makes it easier to call the police."

Norris said police placements in Northern communities last for two years. Sometimes it takes that long to build up trusting relationships within the community, he said.

"If you come from a Northern community or come from the same background you'll have one less barrier to break down," he said.

"You can move forward to start the healing process."

"If you come from here you understand the community, you understand the hardships many face in the North," he said.

Norris started his career in Inuvik 15 years ago, following in the footsteps of his two older brothers. Now all three work in Yellowknife and are strong advocates for an aboriginal presence in policing. Norris returned to the North last October after working for a special aboriginal policing unit with the RCMP in Vancouver for three years.

The move to recruit more aboriginals is part of a larger shift Norris said he's noticed in the police force. He said policing has become a lot more flexible in the past few years and the RCMP is trying new approaches -- such as restorative justice -- rather than let standard police policy dictate.

"In Vancouver it's an amazing mix of people," he said. "You have aboriginal communities but you also have East Indian communities and Chinese communities. There's such a diversity of cultures there you have to come up with strategies that serve the communities best."