Dawn Ostrem
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Aug 25/00) - An increase in crime and a decrease in RCMP members is making problems in the downtown more concerning than usual.

Staff Sgt. Terry Scott provided the City of Yellowknife with the detachment's monthly report Aug 11, showing about 1,500 more files this year than last year at this time.

But most of that can be attributed to more efficient filing and reporting, he said.

"There's not much of an increase but there's some," he explained. "The problem has always been there but I know there's a definite increase when there's 53 drunks in the cells Monday morning."

Operating with five fewer members than normal at the Yellowknife detachment hasn't helped the situation either.

"We'll make do and I'll pay overtime until we get enough people, to make sure everything is taken care of," Scott added.

Two members are expected to be transferred to Yellowknife by mid-October.

The 50th Street project, which is made up of a minimum of six members on foot-patrol in the downtown core, was initially meant to operate on busy weekends such as Folk on the Rocks or Raven Mad Daze.

Scott is hoping to increase that effort by placing as many as 10 members in the area every weekend.

"Because people are creatures of habit," he said.

"If they expect to see us only in the summer months, when they don't see you they'll revert back to whatever they were doing prior to the initiative.

"So, what do we accomplish?"

There are numerous bars and nightclubs along downtown streets and come closing time crowds of intoxicated and belligerent customers often spill from them onto the sidewalks.

Along with alcohol comes crime in high numbers.

"With the number of bars we have here, we're running all over the place," Scott said.

"You put a house party on top of that and ...

"It's something that will get looked after but we can only do so much. We're damage control really."

Scott said the shortage of RCMP here is a result of a number of things including the downswing in RCMP graduates all over the country and an unwillingness to travel North.

The increase in alcohol-related crime can only be eventually remedied through the RCMP and partners such as health and social services.

"All these are social issues," he said. "Right now we're doing what we can from our point."