INUVIK - Police handed out numerous traffic fines and responded to plenty of calls over Thanksgiving weekend.

Const. Cory Wallace was one of several Inuvik RCMP police officers kept busy over the weekend. - Andrew Rankin/NNSL photo

Const. Sandi Pike said officers responded to a whopping 88 calls from Oct. 8 to 11. She said complaints ranged from disturbing the peace to public mischief to liquor act violations. Two assault complaints were lodged, which are still under investigation.

"It was a busy weekend that's for sure," said Pike.

She didn't have numbers to compare with calls made to the detachment during Thanksgiving weekend last year.

The numbers are up from last year's Thanksgiving weekend, where the RCMP detachment received 65 calls. By comparison, the four-day Easter weekend in April resulted in 83 calls.

Pike said the last two weekends have been particularly busy for the detachment.

Chris Larocque, deputy mayor of Inuvik, said on Tuesday he was unaware of the spike in calls at the detachment. He said he had heard rumours of an increase in youth crime in town but didn't want to comment on the situation until he had time to study the RCMP monthly report presented at the council's regular meeting on Oct. 13.

The detachment also increased road patrols as part of its annual Operation Impact, a national program that coincides with Thanksgiving weekend.

Pike said more than 45 traffic fines had been issued to drivers over the holiday, none of which were for drunk driving. But one driver had his licence suspended for 24 hours for having low level of intoxication.

She said most of the charges were failing to stop at a stop sign, operating without insurance and registration, speeding, and seatbelt infractions. Five checkpoints were set up throughout town over the weekend.

She says police are always cautious during the holidays.

"More people are on the road so we just want to be out there to make sure people are safe," she said.

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