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RCMP respond to violence concerns Police say no increased threat to women in Yellowknife
Daniel Campbell
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, September 18, 2013
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Yellowknife RCMP say recent allegations of sexual assaults and assaults in the city are unrelated and they do not believe there is increased danger to women in town.
RCMP released comments on Monday regarding the growing concerns brought forward to Yellowknife police about an "apparent" increase in sexual violence in the city.
There have been four allegations of sexual assault and one allegation of assault against females that RCMP have reported to the media since July. Police won't say exactly how many sexual violence crimes have occurred in Yellowknife recently, but said the numbers don't raise a concern.
"Historical crime data for the city does not lead us to believe that there is an increased level of threat to women in Yellowknife," RCMP wrote in a statement to media.
Cpl. Roxanne Hudym, RCMP spokesperson, said specific data on sexual assaults will be discussed in the near future.
Hudym said police can't report every alleged crime to the media, as the volume of less severe crimes in a given day can be quite high.
Generally, Hudym said, police will release information to the media only if it is of public interest and public concern, or incidents where the police are seeking information from the public.
"Often times the investigations are very involved and the news releases are seeking information from the public. They're part of the investigative process to solicit information from anyone who may know anything about the incident," Hudym said.
Police also place more weight on crimes against a person, although Hudym said not all crimes against people warrant reports to the media.
"It's certainly not a blanket that we say, this is a crime against a person and a media release must be done," she said.
While police take every complaint seriously, Yellowknife RCMP stressed that not every complaint reflects what actually occurred.
"Many of the complaints received are from persons with limited knowledge of the justice system and, as such, are reported as the complainant views the situation to be," the RCMP statement read.
For example, the statement notes a break and enter might be erroneously reported as a robbery.
In its media statement, RCMP said they work diligently to address all complaints in a timely manner
"The Yellowknife RCMP expects to be held accountable for the quality and timeliness of all investigations. The justice system demands accountability and is the venue where the actions of the RCMP are scrutinized and judged."
Fact file
Violence against women reported by Yellowknife RCMP to media since July
1) July 21, Forrest Drive: A teenage girl reports being assaulted near the Tommy Forrest Ball Park area around 2 a.m. Police now say a composite sketch artist was brought in, leading to a person of interest being identified. The complainant was unable to identify any subjects as the perpetrator after a photo lineup. The investigation remains open.
2) July 30, McMahon Frame Lake Trail: An unidentified male allegedly approached an adult female from behind near Somba K'e Park around 5 a.m., sexually assaulted her, then fled on foot. Police say investigators continue to examine existing evidence and interview people with relevant information.
3) July 30, Sissons Court: A male allegedly entered an apartment and sexually assaulted an adult female around 7 a.m., fleeing on foot afterwards. Police released a sketch of the suspect shortly after the complaint. Police say the public response has resulted in numerous leads, and they have been equally busy clearing people of interest as well as identifying people of interest. The investigation is ongoing.
4) Aug. 31, Northern United Place: A male allegedly approached a woman and her 12-year-old daughter around 6 p.m., verbally accosting them, grabbing his crotch and approaching them aggressively. RCMP arrested a male fitting the description and determined the matter to be a "cause of disturbance in public by being drunk." The complainant was unable to identify the suspect in a photo lineup and no charges have been laid.
5) Sept. 15, Rivett Crescent: see accompanying story for details.
"We can definitively state that these incidents are not related" - Yellowknife RCMP news release, Sept. 16.
Source: Yellowknife RCMP
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