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Feeling safe but locking doors
Erika Sherk
Northern News Services
"My husband was tired of walking outside and finding something else gone," she said.
"That's when we got the Rottweiler.". Though she said she feels generally safe in her community, she thinks precautions such as a big dog are necessary now. Two years ago I would have never locked my house. I lock my house all the time now, she said." Reported crime is on the rise in the North. Statistics Canada recently reported that Northerners are victimized by crime at a rate three times higher than their Southern neighbours. This doesn't necessarily mean that there is more crime up North, according to Staff Sgt. Craig Seafoot, RCMP commander for the South District of the NWT. "Crime here is generally consistent with the South," he said, of the South Slave region. Despite the statistics that suggest more crime up North, Northerners were also much more likely to report feeling satisfied with their personal safety. "It depends on the individual, some people here are scared to walk down the streets," he said. Mavis Klause, 58, is one of those people. At least she is at night. She said she feels her Hay River neighbourhood is unsafe. She is afraid of being victimized. "You do not go out at night and your doors are locked at all times," she said. There are drug addicts in her neighbourhood, she said, and it scares her. "They might just hit you for money," she said. Drugs are the crux of the issue, said Seafoot. "If we didn't have drugs and alcohol in the area, no police officers would be needed," he said, then amended, "well, or at least the crime rate would be lower." Ten years ago, there was not a drug issue in the South Slave, he said. Maybe a bit of recreational marijuana floating around but little of the harder drugs like crack-cocaine. It all comes down to money, he said. Economic growth from diamond mines and oil and gas have led to an increase in money in the North, he said. "Drug dealers follow money flows," he said. Drugs lead to crime, said Seafoot. "They want the drugs but they're not working - it ends up in property crime, to steal money." However, when it comes to small-scale property crime, fingers are often pointed at youth, as well. Kevin Wallington is the co-ordinator of the Hay River Youth Centre. "The biggest problem is that a lot of kids who are involved in (crime) have no supervision in their life," he said. It gets to the point where youth are bringing home stolen property and parents aren't even asking about it, he said. Wallington said the major motivators for youth crime are "boredom and stupidity. The two go hand in hand." Staff Sgt. Seafoot said that youth are definitely a focus when it comes to efforts to keep the South Slave crime and drug-free. "Society are victims" when it comes to drugs, he said, "but youth are the main victim - the prime target." Beyond being victimized by drug dealers looking for customers, youth are often victims of violent crime by their peers, said Wallington. "I definitely get complaints of kids attacked or bullied," he said. However, he has noticed a trend of the youth reporting the crimes more frequently today, which he suggested might also be a factor in the high number of Northern crime reports. "Kids are realizing they have the right to press charges whereas before you'd be victimized all over again for doing it," said Wallington. Being victimized twice over is an issue for more than just youth, said Fort Smith Victims' Services co-ordinator Tara Mooney. "In smaller communities, often victimized people become victims again," she said. People can be embarrassed or stigmatized by what happened to them, said Mooney. Victims' Services provides support for victims of crime by counseling them and helping them through the court process. It's an essential service, she said. "Victims have been so traumatized by crime," she said, "it's so intimidating to go through the courts without support." Alexandra Smith, former co-ordinator for Hay River Victims' Services, said she worked with about 200 clients a year on the job. Smith said she saw sexual assault and spousal assault victims most commonly. "People are better able to cope when the crimes have been vandalism or robbery," she said. "The more devastating the crime, the more support someone would need." Offenders must also come to terms with what they have done to their victims. Diane St. John is the regional corrections psychologist for the South Slave. She generally deals with the more serious offenders.She sees sexual and spousal assault offenders frequently. Their victims are a major point of discussion, she said. "Myself, I always talk about victims. Every single day," she said. "That's why they are here - they wouldn't be here if there hadn't been a victim." Offenders often don't realize what harm their actions caused, she said. "In hindsight, they're quite aware that they have hurt other people," she said. When it comes to preventing crime and its subsequent victims, South Slave residents said people need to be working together. Allan Gibb started up a neighbourhood watch in Hay River a year ago. "Drugs were beginning to get the upper edge in this community," he said. "And it's not only ours, but all communities in the North." "It's a deterrent thing, people need to know that we won't put up with crime," said Gibb. South Slave crime stats 2005/2006
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