GNWT's 'hands off' approach to policing
Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Nov 24/00) - Like everything else, law and order comes at a price.
The territorial government will spend $19 million for RCMP services this year, but the government does not yet know whether that includes the estimated $500,000 cost to G Division for Operation Guiness.
Cost-sharing of policing services is spelled out in a 20-year framework agreement signed in 1992 between the GNWT and the Solicitor General of Canada.
Under the agreement the territorial government is required to cover 70 per cent of the cost of RCMP service in the NWT. Enforcement of drug laws is a federal responsibility.
"Strictly speaking the cost of that would be paid out of the federal resources contributed to policing," said acting deputy minister of justice Gerry Sutton. "But for an operation of that size, I think it's going to require some territorial resources. How much, we really don't know yet."
Sutton said when the final cost of the investigation is tallied a determination will be made if there is enough in the 30 per cent federal contribution to cover it.
"A decision is made as to what level of policing we want and can afford," said Sutton. Those discussions include the RCMP and lead to an agreement "that essentially says how many officers will be resourced."
The government's involvement in policing the North does not extend to the day-to-day operation of the force or special initiatives such as Operation Guiness.
"We discuss with them at the beginning of the year the general priorities or policy considerations we have, but the day-to-day management of the force is done by the RCMP."
Sutton said it is impossible to predict what kinds of investigations may arise during the year, citing the strike at Giant Mine as a situation that resulted in increased policing costs.
"You never really know at the beginning of the year what kind of investigations are going to come up during the course of the year."
