Dawn Ostrem
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Aug 31/01) - After six years of being the head Mountie at RCMP's G Division, Bill Sweeney is packing up his office to move on to run a bigger post in Alberta.

Commanding Officer of the RCMP's G division, Bill Sweeney, stayed in the shadows for the six years he spent running the territory's police force.

But despite Sweeney wanting to stay out of the public's eye, his decisions swept through to the very roots of the Northern justice system during his tenure.

The commanding officer for all RCMP in the Northwest Territories was just finishing packing up boxes earlier this week.

The quiet, soft-spoken 27-year RCMP veteran sat in a spacious and comfortable office in the Yellowknife detachment as he prepared for this interview.

"He's so personable for someone in a high position," said his secretary while walking down the long, narrow halls of the police building.

For someone who is responsible for G division's budget, criminal operation strategies, policy and priorities, Sweeney is almost bashful.

"I'm very private and don't like being in the public eye very much," he admitted.

"My position sometimes requires it of me but I try to avoid it as much as possible."

Sweeney is leaving the North to do the same job as head of K division, Alberta's RCMP based in Edmonton.

"But on a much larger scale," he said.

His winding career started out in Alberta -- Provost in the 1970s, then High Prairie, where he still owns some farmland. From there he moved to Red Deer and then Desmarais.

He was commissioned in Edmonton in 1989, rising above the rank of Staff Sgt.

Later he went to Ottawa to be part of the protective policing unit.

He was also a part of the national counter-terrorist hostage rescue team.

Sweeney also worked in B.C., then came here as division superintendent for criminal operations and ultimately the division commander.

Throughout his criss-cross journey of the country his wife Heather and two children followed him to the North.

"I have mixed feelings. I really love the North," he said about leaving this time.

"But at the same point our profession tends to be a mobile one."

"I am confident the next person will be selected based on their interest in the community."

"You don't last long if you are not sincere."

When Sweeney said that the level of skill among officers in the North is incredibly high -- even though there is hardly a division commander who wouldn't say so -- you believe him without question.

"I've served in five divisions of the RCMP and the quality of our people here is just outstanding," he said, proudly.

Of Sweeney's main priorities, finding the funds to get more outstanding officers in the NWT was one accomplishment he's proud of..

He understands the government's funding restraints, as he works closely with the minister, but is leaving the post with the guarantee that there will be no more one-person detachments in the North next year, even if it means re-allocated division money.

He is also proud of Operation Guiness, the NWT's largest drug bust, and Operation Gyukuzi, a drug bust several years ago in Nunavut.

What he is clearly less proud of, on behalf of the division, are the things for which there is no positive spin.

There is currently an internal investigation being conducted on an officer regarding alleged information that the officer tampered with evidence.

"This is a fairly routine process," Sweeney said. "I would have preferred that this one be completed," before leaving.

"I have to discharge my responsibility fairly," he added, about calling the investigation. "You can't pick and choose."

But on his way out, Sweeney will surely remember his colleagues off-duty, snowmobiling and winter camping in tents at 40-below as they manoeuvred frigid fingers around guitar strings.

"It is absolutely not entertaining to anybody but ourselves," he said.

A glint appeared in Sweeney's eye and a hint of a smile crossed his face as he added quietly, almost shy, "Most of those stories I probably shouldn't talk about."