PEHDZEH KI/WRIGLEY - Two communities in the territory could have to wait up to three years for their promised RCMP detachments to materialize.

The federal government made a commitment to build detachments in both Wrigley and Gameti by 2011. Due to budget cuts the community's detachments were re-prioritized and may be delayed for another three years, said Chief Superintendent Wade Blake, the commanding officer of G Division.

Most governments and organizations have had budget cuts and funding for everything is being scrutinized, Blake said. Last year the RCMP conducted a review on the direction it was taking on infrastructure.

G Division has to compete for infrastructure funding with other divisions in the northwest region including Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Nunavut. The division was asked to identify its biggest priorities and named Inuvik and Behchoko.

Both of the communities have been priorities even before Wrigley and Gameti were identified for detachments, Blake said.

Inuvik's detachment has outgrown its building and there are safety issues surrounding the standards in the cell blocks, said Blake. A new structure will be built in the community.

Behchoko is in a similar situation. Its detachment, built in the early 1970s, was designed for four officers and now serves 12.

Once Inuvik and Behchoko are addressed Wrigley and Gameti will be first on the infrastructure planning list. The next big capital budget for infrastructure, however, isn't until 2013.

The division does examine communities' needs every year and is looking at alternative funding sources and different types of structures that would allow detachments to be put in place sooner, Blake said. One possibility is portable patrol cabins instead of permanent buildings.

"We're always looking for ways we can come to the same conclusions," he said.

Currently Wrigley and Gameti are each served by two dedicated officers who are based in Fort Simpson and Behchoko, respectively. Having the dedicated members has created a large improvement in service in the communities because they conduct regularly scheduled visits instead of arriving only when there's a call, Blake said.

Wrigley elder Angus Ekenale agrees having dedicated officers is an improvement but was disappointed to hear about the detachment delay.

"We've been pushing, pushing all the time," Ekenale said.

"We really need it out here."

There can be quite a few complaints in the community particularly related to alcohol and drugs when the road to the community is open, Ekenale said. Because the ferry is out of service and there's no ice crossing the community is currently cut off from road access. This means when the RCMP make their patrols they have to travel by air charter.

Ekenale said money being spent on the charters would be better spent on building a detachment.

Blake has already been to Gameti along with Jackson Lafferty, the territorial justice minister, to explain the plans for its detachment. He has volunteered to do the same in Wrigley if Lafferty is making a trip there.

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