Jorge Barrera
Northern News Services

Fort Simpson (July 12/02) - Two Yellowknife RCMP officers are in Fort Simpson this week to help with the heightened security for the Dene Nation assembly.

"We are going by the old adage: prepare for the worst, hope for the best," said Fort Simpson RCMP Sgt. Bill Eubank.

The two Yellowknife RCMP officers will replace two officers from Hay River yesterda and today.

The officers are part of an extra three-person officer boost the Simpson detachment received this week for the assembly. The other officer is from Fort Smith.

The Fort Simpson RCMP detachment was down to five officers from their usual eight-person complement this summer.

Eubank said the two officers from Hay River will be shuffled with two officers from Yellowknife sometime this week.

Eubank said the village's 1,200 population will rise to around 2,400 during the week of the assembly which began Monday and will end Sunday.

The RCMP have already stepped up surveillance on the highway leading into Fort Simpson.

By Monday seven motorists had been fined for speeding since Friday -- a normal quota according to Eubank.

The greatest concentration of people will be at the Papal site.

The site is being turned into a tent city. On Monday, four or five tents were scattered over the grassy plain near the edge of the Mackenzie River.

The Papal site was constructed in 1984 for a visit by John Paul II that didn't happen until two years later because of bad weather.

The RCMP rented a large motor home from a local resident and turned it into security headquarters at the site in which liquor is prohibited.

Each of the five regions is expected to provide two security personnel who will co-ordinate with a bylaw officer and RCMP volunteers operating the headquarters.

Bert Tsetso, Fort Simpson hamlet bylaw officer, said his job is to keep an eye on things.

"They've put me on stream with the Queen's cowboys," said Tsetso.

"It should be interesting."

Tsetso said this is the first Dene Nation Assembly he's attended in a small community where there isn't 100 per cent prohibition.

There are two bars in Fort Simpson.

"This will be another experience," said Tsetso.

Fort Simpson resident, Raymond Deneyoue, who lives eight kilometres outside of town, said he's okay with the increased security.

"There are a lot of people in town that I don't know," said Deneyoue. "Sounds good to me."

Eubank said police trained an extra dozen volunteer security personnel for the event.