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Out of control

Paul Bickford
Northern News Services

Fort Smith (May 02/05) - An RCMP officer is raising the alarm about the high number of sexual assaults in Fort Smith.

Sgt. Craig Seafoot says, over the last 16 months, there have been 28 sexual assaults in the community.

"That's ridiculous, in my opinion," Seafoot says. "It's out of control."

Seafoot says drugs and alcohol are a common factor in many of the sexual assaults.

There have been convictions or charges in some of the assaults, while others are under investigation.

"There's no one sexual predator in town," Seafoot notes. "They are all separate cases."

Aimee Clark, a women's rights advocate in Fort Smith, says the number of sexual assaults is "appalling. It really is."

However, she adds women are not afraid to walk the streets in Fort Smith. "I don't think there's a big fear in the community that women can't go out."

Instead, she says females need to be aware that they put themselves at risk by getting drunk at parties.

Clark, the NWT representative on the National Anti-Poverty Organization, doesn't think the issue of sexual assault is getting the attention it deserves. "It's much higher in this community than people actually believe." She is impressed with Seafoot's willingness to work with women in the community and increase public awareness.

Seafoot talked to girls at Paul William Kaeser high school on April 12 on how to protect themselves from sexual assault. "Basically, what I told the girls is we can't stop them from drinking," he says.

However, he advised them that, if they do drink, not to take a drink from someone because it could contain a drug, not to look like they're alone at parties, not to sleep in back bedrooms during parties, not to go to or leave parties alone, and not to take short cuts when walking home, but to stay on lit streets.

Seafoot says he spoke to the female students because of the age of some sexual assault victims. A few were between 15-20 years old.

Common assaults

Seafoot also notes there is an increasing number of common assaults in Fort Smith - 223 in 2004, but 77 up to April 27 of this year. That is ahead of the pace of last year, he says, adding the busy season is the summer.

"We could possibly have 260-270 assaults if we keep going at this rate."

That is a high number for a community of 2,400, he says, noting there aren't so many assaults in Drumheller, a town of 6,500 where he once served.

Seafoot says, aside from the use of alcohol and drugs, the rate of assault is so high in Fort Smith because some people have no respect for themselves or others. "They feel they can do what they want."