Paul Bickford
Northern News Services
Published Monday, January 28, 2008

FORT SMITH - The South Slave has had enough of the illegal drug trade and is proposing a new way to combat it.

In Fort Smith on Jan. 16, community representatives met Justice Minister Jackson Lafferty and the RCMP to propose a three-member drug interdiction task force, including a police dog, be established in the South Slave.

South Slave communities want a police dog in Hay River as part of a proposed RCMP drug interdiction task force. Above, Lasse, the police dog from Yellowknife, goes on one of many trips around the North. - NNSL file photo

The meeting was the initiative of Fort Smith Mayor Peter Martselos.

"I believe very strongly, if we don't do something, things are going to get worse," he said.

Martselos said the meeting was prompted by October's shooting death of RCMP Constable Christopher Worden in Hay River.

There are indications the shooting may have been linked to the drug trade.

"It can still happen to someone in the future. Nobody knows," Martselos said. "It's time to do something."

The idea is to establish the task force in Hay River.

Martselos said Hay River is the most centralized community and from there, the task force can watch the highway on which much of the illegal drugs make their way into the NWT.

"From Hay River, they can watch over the other communities," he added.

Inspector Mike Payne of the RCMP's G Division said an interdiction task force would be helpful in battling the drug trade and could watch the highway and the airport.

"This is a good idea," he said.

However, he stressed it is a community idea, and the RCMP has agreed to work with the communities to see where it goes.

"It's on the agenda and we're going to work it through and see what we can come up with," he said, adding that, at present, there is no formal proposal.

Payne said stepped-up enforcement for a week or so in October 2006 and June 2007 was successful in increasing the seizures of drugs.

"I think there is a collective agreement it would be a good thing on a full-time basis," said Payne, who attended the Fort Smith meeting.

Lafferty was unavailable for comment about the meeting, which was closed to the media and public.

Martselos is concerned about the length of time - two years - it could take to set up a task force.

"I want to see something done before that," he said, adding he would like to see something in place in the next six months.

The RCMP's Payne said the two-year estimate is primarily because that's how long it would take to train a police dog and identify and train a handler

"You can't say, 'I want a police dog,' and have it tomorrow," he said.

Currently, there is only one police dog in the NWT. The dog is stationed in Yellowknife, but serves the whole territory as needed.

Payne said it might be possible to establish an interdiction task force and add a dog later, but that depends on funding and the availability of officers.

The inspector said about $150,000 a year is required to fund an RCMP officer. That includes salary, benefits, car and computer.

Payne said he is "absolutely" encouraged that South Slave communities are taking an active role in suggesting solutions to the drug problem.

Martselos said the Jan. 16 meeting also called for tougher sentences against drug-related crimes. "The justice system, we feel, is very soft."

The meeting was also attended by Mayor Bess Ann McKay of Fort Resolution's Deninoo Community Council and Hay River town councillor Ken Latour, along with representatives from Salt River First Nation, Smith's Landing First Nation and the Fort Smith Metis Council.

Latour said an interdiction task force is part of the solution to the drug problem.

"I think there's a recognition that you have to start somewhere and this is the place to start," he said.

In fact, Latour said the whole of the NWT should get behind the idea.

However, he said other issues aside from enforcement have to be dealt with, such as reducing the demand for drugs and demanding harsher sentencing for drug offences.

"Some people feel the sentences are very lenient," he said.

Martselos said the communities told Lafferty that they are all concerned about trafficking, drug abuse and drug-related crimes.

"It's having a tremendous impact on the quality of life in our communities," he said.

The mayor is particularly worried about the effects on youth, asking, "If they have problems with drugs, how are they going to build a life?"