Philippe Morin
Northern News Services
Monday, June 4, 2007

SACHS HARBOUR - Residents of Sachs Harbour will soon welcome more RCMP officers to the community.

Yet, the officers will not be living in the hamlet as previously announced, until better housing and offices are built.

Inspector Parker Kennedy, who is the North District Policing Officer based in Yellowknife, said two new officers would be assigned to the community in July.

However, he said Sachs Harbour still needs to build better housing and office space before the officers move there.

"I believe what is proposed is that they'll be temporarily housed in Inuvik and come under the direction of the detachment commander until such time as we can properly relocate them in Sachs Harbour," Kennedy said.

While the Inuvik detachment of the RCMP currently covers Sachs Harbour, Kennedy said the new officers would be dedicated to the hamlet.

"It's going to be a big change. They are going to be exclusive to Sachs Harbour, our understanding is that there will be weekly patrols in the community," he said.

Sachs Harbour's mayor, Robert Eldridge said the community is looking forward to having permanent officers.

"We're just in the process of getting ready for them now."

But while Sachs Harbour received $428,000 for new police facilities in the last territorial budget, Eldridge said construction has been delayed, partly because materials must be brought by shipping barge to the community.

"It probably won't get started until next year. We couldn't get it through fast enough this year," he said of the planning.

According to Cpl. Jim Strowbridge of the Inuvik RCMP, the Inuvik detachment received 22 calls from Sachs Harbour from April 2006 to April 2007.

Sachs Harbour has been without resident police presence since 1992.