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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - At the Municipal Services Committee meeting at city hall on Monday, RCMP Staff Sgt. Mike Brandford informed council on the usual monthly statistics.

"There hasn't really been a great big spike," he said in regards to crime for the month of January.

Brandford said DARE (Drug Awareness Resistance Education), had begun in Yellowknife, Ndilo and Dettah schools. He said about seven or eight RCMP members are leading DARE classes. Brandford said the RCMP is also looking at establishing a youth committee.

"We're having a look at it," he said, adding the group, if formed, would meet a few times annually.

Badge of heritage

Yellowknife's Girl Guides will be getting two new badges to represent the heritage of Yellowknife and the heritage of the NWT. City council was given the notes from Yellowknife's Heritage Committee on Monday and the announcement was included in some of the events, issues and items from the committee's meeting on Jan. 21.

The badges will be earned through a program called Yellowknife Tales, focusing on the history of the city.

Yellowknifers owing taxes may face auction

As part of the Property Assessment and Taxation Act certain properties on the city's tax arrears list can be sold off at a public auction. Council discussed the auction at Monday's meeting.

"This list used to be four or five pages long," said Coun. Bob Brooks.

"People see their names on this list and they say 'Oh, I better go pay.'"

The 2009 tax auction list included 21 properties and, in accordance with the act, properties up for auction must be two years in arrears. Of those properties listed this year, four belong to Johnson's Building Supplies Ltd, which owes a total of $35,807.02 in arrears.

"There's a number of properties in Old Town along the waterfront," noted Coun. David Wind of the listed possible auction items.

He asked if it would be possible for the city to enter into negotiations to purchase certain properties "if council had an interest."

Director of Corporate Services Carl Bird said it was part of the act to hold a public auction first and "then if there are no takers" it would be possible for the city to acquire them.