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Fighting drugs a top priority

Paul Bickford
Northern News Services
Published Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2009

HAY RIVER - Scott Buchanan, the newly-arrived RCMP sergeant in Hay River, says combating drug trafficking is one of his top priorities.

NNSL Photo/Graphic

Sgt. Scott Buchanan: new RCMP detachment commander in Hay River says police need help from the community.

Buchanan said that is both an RCMP priority and a community priority, according to consultations with town residents.

His other priorities include tackling day-to-day crime related to illegal drugs and alcohol, youth safety, and crime prevention.

Buchanan is requesting Hay River residents assist the police in those efforts.

"We need to have the community stand up and help us," he said.

The new sergeant said the support offered to police by town residents has increased since the shooting death of Const. Christopher Worden nearly two years ago. A man accused of drug trafficking has been charged in Worden's death.

Buchanan took over as detachment commander on Aug. 24 – his 40th birthday.

More help is also on the way for the Hay River detachment. In the next 90 days a police dog and handler are expected to arrive in the community.

"He'll add such a variety of tools for us to use locally," Buchanan said.

Aside from drug cases, the dog could help in a number of other instances, including high-risk arrests and tracking suspects.

In this year's budget, the GNWT allocated annual funding to station a police dog and handler at the Hay River RCMP detachment to serve the South Slave and even elsewhere in the NWT as required.

The main task of the dog will be to sniff out illegal drugs coming into the NWT on the highway system. Currently, the only police dog in the NWT is stationed in Yellowknife, but serves the whole territory, as needed.

In his short time in Hay River, Buchanan said he has found the morale at the detachment to be very good and all officers are very interested in their work.

"That makes my job a little easier," he said.

Buchanan also intends to promote good community relations.

He will be encouraging his officers to get more involved in the community through coaching sports and other activities, he said.

"It is important to me to be involved in the community we serve," he said.

Buchanan was promoted to sergeant from corporal in conjunction with his transfer from Viking, Alta.

It is his first time serving in the NWT's 'G' Division.

"My furthest north posting was Fort Chipewyan," he said, adding he served as a constable in the northern Alberta community from 1999 to 2003.

Buchanan said he requested to come North.

"Since being in Fort Chipewyan, I had a desire to come here," he said.

The sergeant explained he heard many positive things about Hay River. He visited the community briefly 25 years ago as a teenager with his aunt, who was teaching in Pine Point.

Buchanan, who is originally from Saskatchewan, has been in the RCMP for 13 years.

His predecessor as sergeant in Hay River, Ron Rose, was transferred to Ottawa in July.