Maria Canton
Northern News Services

Clyde River (Jun 26/00) - A reduction in the community's crime is evident when youth programs are running in Clyde River, says the co-ordinator of the local Ilisaqsivik Society.

Beverly Ilauq says over the years the numbers indicate that youth crime decreases when there are programs in place, and this summer won't be any different.

Fresh on the heels of approval for $27,400 for a crime prevention initiative operated by the society, Ilauq says the group has already hired a youth counsellor who will start on July 1.

"Summer is often the time when kids are left in town and their parents are on the land, or the time when they begin to develop sniffing or smoking habits," said Ilauq.

"We are very thankful to have received the money to have a youth counsellor this summer and continue our projects from last year."

The society received the funding from the National Strategy on Community Safety and Crime Prevention and have plans to incorporate a summer walk\camp with elders into their program.

"The summer walk is the kind of thing that could really have an impression on a kid's life," said Ilauq.

"The youth counsellor will be organizing and running it."

Clyde River, however, is only one of several communities that will benefit from more than $420,000 in funding.

On June 10, Justice Minister Jack Anawak and Nunavut's member of Parliament Nancy Karetak-Lindell announced that 15 crime prevention projects in Nunavut were approved for funding.

Citing Nunavut's high crime and suicide rates, Anawak says the community-tailored projects will likely ease the problems.

"This money is going to do something very powerful in the communities, we have to empower the communities again," he said at a Saturday morning press conference announcing the funded projects.

"It is always good to see communities operating more on their own, they have to take something back that they should have always had."

More than 50 people turned out to hear the announcements, including several elders.

The National Strategy on Community Safety and Crime Prevention launched a safer communities initiative in 1998. Administered by the National Crime Prevention Centre, it is aimed at community-based responses to crime with a particular emphasis on children and youth.