Roxanna Thompson
Northern News Services
Friday, May 25, 2007

WRIGLEY - Following years of requests by community members, Wrigley is now slated to receive a permanent RCMP detachment.

The territorial government has approved funding for Wrigley, Gameti and Sachs Harbour to each receive two RCMP officers, said Brendan Bell, NWT minister of justice. The communities are among the 13 in the territory that did not have permanent detachments.

"I'm happy to see this commitment to small community policing," said Bell.

Although Wrigley has been approved for a detachment, it will take about four years for the detachment to be fully operational.

Two RCMP members are expected to be in the community by the fall, but they will report to the detachment in Fort Simpson. The officers will not be defined as having Wrigley positions until permanent housing and a new detachment building can be constructed, said Bell. The same situations will happen in both Gameti and Sachs Harbour.

Despite not having a permanent detachment, the two officers will live in Wrigley. Temporary housing and a detachment building will be found, but different RCMP officers might have to cycle through the community, said Bell.

The RCMP members who are assigned to these communities might have families and they can't be asked to stay in the community for long periods of time without permanent housing, he said. Once the structures are built, the same people can be stationed in the community year-round, he said.

"More important to me was getting people on the ground instead of roving patrols so we have a permanent presence in the community," he said.

The construction of a detachment building will be a federal government responsibility. Funds for RCMP capital projects such as detachments fall under the federal government's jurisdiction, said Bell.

The territory has a cost- sharing arrangement with the RCMP for operations including salaries. The funds for the new positions were approved as supplemental appropriations by the legislative assembly.

The government was aware of the desire of Wrigley residents for a permanent RCMP detachment and the lack of one was also a concern for the government, said Bell.

"Safety in communities is paramount," he said.

"We want to make sure that the people of Wrigley have the benefit of feeling safe and the presence of RCMP."

One of the government's priorities over the past year has been to build more detachments in the territory. The announcement of the three new detachments is welcomed is the first time in a number of years that new detachments have been built in the territory, said Bell.