Rankin Inlet (Apr 06/05) - The face of policing in Rankin Inlet will change in a big way this summer.

Sgt. Grant St. Germaine, Const. Sean O'Brien and Const. Dominic Milotte will all be leaving Rankin towards the end of July.

Const. Sean O'Brien has been active with the DARE program and officiating minor hockey during his Kivalliq postings in Arviat and Rankin Inlet. - NNSL file photo

Germaine, who arrived in Rankin on July 25, 2003, will be promoted to staff sergeant and posted to Fort St. James in northern British Columbia.

O'Brien will be off to the Newmarket, Ontario, drug section.

O'Brien came to Rankin Inlet from Arviat in May 2004.

And Milotte, who came to Rankin in March 2003, will be moving back to his hometown to join the integrated proceeds of crime unit in Montreal, Quebec.

Germaine says the officers realize it's tough for a community when a number of RCMP members move on at the same time.

He says the impact is lessened these days, however, because the RCMP involve the community more with its work and decisions.

"We've stepped away a bit from the old style of policing where a cop comes into the community and everyone does what he or she says," says Germaine.

"We still have some of that to a certain degree, but it's very, very important for the police to liaise with the community through hamlet council, the schools, local media and, most importantly, just being out and about the town and talking to people.

"One of the most important aspects of policing in Nunavut is for an officer to be active in the community outside of their work."

Help on the way

The two remaining officers of the current five-person detachment are Const. Iain Monteith and Cpl. Mike Lokken.

They will be joined by four new members shortly, bringing the detachment's strength back up to six regular members and two bylaw officers.

The detachment will also employ a student this summer.

Const. Tracy Um will be moving to Rankin from Hamilton, Ont., and will be joined by Const. Eric Oootoovak of Pond Inlet.

The detachment will also receive a cadet from the training depot this summer, and a corporal or sergeant from a Nunavut community who will be selected by the RCMP's promotional board.

"Having two local bylaw officers and a summer person who are all Inuit will make the transition for the new members easier.

"I'm confident the detachment will be able to maintain the same level of service the hamlet has grown accustomed to."

Germaine says he's enjoyed his time in Rankin and takes pride in the fact many residents find the detachment members more approachable since his arrival.

"There's no doubt that in Rankin, especially, the cops are now looked upon as being part of the community, rather than people who come in for a while and then move on."

Mayor Lorne Kusugak would like to see all three officers extend their stay for at least another year.

He's more than a little worried over losing all three at once.

"When you get three of the best RCMP officers in Nunavut in a town like Rankin, you hate to lose them at all, let alone at once," says Kusugak.

"It's been a while since we've had such a run of good officers in the hamlet."

Kusugak says what sets all three officers apart is how active they are in the hamlet.

He says their interaction with residents has brought a new level of respect for policing to the community.

"Whether it's playing in the rec hockey league, helping officiate minor hockey, or going out hunting with members of the community -- these three guys have always been highly visible in the community and we're going to miss that. "They became a real part of the town and that makes a big difference.

"We're going to feel it when these new officers come in and they don't have the backing of these people who were so active in the community."

Positive impact

Kusugak says Sgt. Germaine has accomplished a lot during his time in Rankin.

He says residents can only hope his replacement is as active in the community as Germaine has been.

"Before Grant's arrival, it had been a long time since we had a head of the RCMP in our community who really made a positive impact.

"It's tough to see three officers who the community respects so much move away."