Dawn Ostrem
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 03/01) - Human resources. Yellowknife's RCMP commanders say they need more, even after years of lobbying the territorial government for just that.

RCMP officer Mike Brandford and city bylaw officer Shep Amrow patrol 50th Street last year. - NNSL file photo

Staff Sgt. Terry Scott said last week that his officers are still carrying case loads that are too heavy. As a result, stress and exhaustion are winding their way through the detachment's staff of 29.

"I've got members here who are carrying 45 files (so far this year) and that is unheard of -- that is really high," he said.

"Stress is high, guys are coming in on their own time, they get burned out, get sick, take leave without pay or quit."

V division -- RCMP in Nunavut -- recently received $3.5 million to hire more officers. That money, like the funding for NWT's G division, comes from the territorial government budgets. Each division is, in effect, a contract partner.

Staffing levels haven't changed much since the early 1990s in Yellowknife, although the detachment lost one position last year to send an extra officer to Fort Good Hope.

"This unit right now could easily use about 10 more members," Scott said. "All I can do is keep saying there is a need."

The population of the city is hovering just over 18,000 right now and that number is expected to steadily creep higher as more diamond mines open in the NWT over the next few years.

Yellowknife's staff is less than three-quarters the size of the Yukon capital's police roster, which has 42 officers. Whitehorse also has a higher population by approximately 4,000 people.

Whitehorse RCMP also still have two officers acting as school liaisons as well as others engaged in outreach programs.