.
Search
Email this articleE-mail this story  Discuss this articleWrite letter to editor  Discuss this articleOrder a classified ad

Definitely unlike home

Derek Neary
Northern News Services

Fort Simpson (Oct 31/03) - In a country still rebuilding from years of civil war, RCMP Sgt. Bill Eubank is helping to guide law enforcement.

Eubank is the team leader of the European Union police mission in Prijedor, Bosnia-Herzegovina. He is supervising nine international staff members who are acting as advisors and mentors to the management of local police forces. They are trying to ensure law enforcement is conducted according to international standards, he explained in written correspondence.

Eubank formerly served as the police detachment commander in Fort Simpson.

The 25-year RCMP veteran, also meets with district police chiefs. Police in Prijedor, including the outlying areas, serve approximately 300,000 people.

They are on the look-out for the "usual" types of crime, but also "human trafficking" -- people being forced into criminal activities against their will. Overall, the rate of crime is low, he noted.

War zone

That's a far cry from his last tour of duty in Croatia in 1993. At that time, the country was an active war zone and Eubank received a commendation for his bravery under fire.

This time around he said he only fears for his well-being while he is driving. The local roads are narrow and many motorists tend to imitate formula one racers, he suggested.

"Add to that tractors and farm equipment, horses and wagons, and you can see some of the problems," he wrote. On the streets, people are generally friendly, he added.

"I have never had anyone say a bad word to me," he said.

Admittedly, if the bad word was spoken in Serbo-Croat, Eubank wouldn't necessarily have understood it. The language barrier is another challenge, he acknowledged. He constantly has an interpreter by his side, including when he was in search of a place to live.

"It means everything takes twice as long to do," he mused.

His one-year overseas mission will be completed in early January. after that, he will return to the NWT and then taking two weeks of compulsory leave. He's still awaiting word on his next posting.