Stephanie McDonald
Northern News Services
Monday, July 30, 2007
NUNAVUT - Despite numbers indicating that crime in Nunavut decreased in 2006, some of the territory's front-line workers haven't noticed the difference, and in some cases the situation has become more severe than in the past.
A report released by Statistics Canada on July 18 reports that Nunavut saw a nine per cent decrease in violent crimes between 2005 and 2006.
Crimes against property declined 25 per cent over the same time period.
Nunavut's crime rate 31,265 criminal code offences (per 100,000 people) in 2006, a drop of 11 per cent from the previous year.
While the numbers are encouraging, Nunavut still has one of the worst rates of crime in the country, second only to the NWT.
"For those of us who work in the system, we haven't seen a decrease at all," said Adamie Komoartok, a court worker and deputy mayor of Pangnirtung.
Komoartok said spousal abuse, alcohol-related crimes and shooting incidents have been more numerous in the Baffin Island community over the past few years.
"We have more people in jail at this time from Pang than we've ever had in the past," he said.
He attributes the rise in crime to the fact that the community isn't able to produce enough jobs for its young people who have gone through the school system.
There used to be a winter fishery in Cumberland Sound, close to the community, that employed 100 to 150 people.
Due to climate change, the ice hasn't formed in the last couple of years and that economic opportunity has consequently been lost, Komoartok said.
Complicating the situation is the fact that young people are stuck between a new way of making a living and trying to retain some of the skills needed to live on the land.
"They have turned towards something else to try to alleviate their frustrations," Komoartok said. "Some of the things they have turned towards are not something we can be proud of."
The situation is similar in Iqaluit. Sgt. Rod Faith, officer in charge of the Iqaluit detachment, hasn't noticed a decrease in crimes within the city.
Alcohol and drug-related crimes against people are the major concern for the 23 members of the Iqaluit detachment.
"Of course it would be much easier to police with more members on the road," Faith said.
He cautioned that it wasn't just a matter of numbers, as the force faces a number of different pressures.
On an encouraging note, Sgt. Gavin Nash, currently based in Rankin Inlet, agreed with the numbers released by Statistics Canada, saying he has seen a decrease in crimes.
Nash has been in the territory for just over six years and has worked in the Baffin and Kivalliq regions.
"It seems the police get busier and busier every year, but it seems like we're not as busy in court as in past years," he said.
Nash attributes the decrease in violent crimes to the age wave that Nunavut is experiencing.
The population is now between generations.
"The people that were in their teens have now grown through their rebellious years," said Nash.
The RCMP in Rankin Inlet conducts a school liaison program, engaging in activities with kids to encourage them to stay away from crime.
The community is also lucky in that it has summer camps, a pool, a youth centre and a community hall to keep residents busy.
Nash said that the situation is tougher in Nunavut's smaller communities.
