RANKIN INLET
Many in the community of Rankin Inlet are reeling following the sudden death of RCMP Community Const. Adrian (Ip) Pilakapsi over the weekend.
Const. Pilakapsi was highly regarded in Rankin after being one of the first group of aboriginal community constables to graduate from the RCMP training academy in Regina in April, 2011. |
Pilakapsi's body was discovered during the early morning on Saturday. He committed suicide, RCMP Chief Supt. Steve McVarnock said in Iqaluit Monday.
"We are shocked, saddened," he said. "That would be an understatement but we're still trying to process what's happened."
The Mounties are providing support to Pilakapsi's family and personnel at the Rankin Inlet detachment. Pilakapsi's funeral will be held in Rankin Inlet on June 14.
The young constable was highly regarded in Rankin after being one of the first group of aboriginal community constables to graduate from the RCMP training academy in Regina in April 2011.
Pilakapsi, 25, spent a great deal of time with local youth during the past year. Although having full powers of arrest as a community constable, much of his duties were to engage in active crime prevention and build positive relationships between communities and the police.
Pilakapsi often spoke of his career with the RCMP as being his dream job.
"He represented a beacon of hope for young Nunavummiut, in terms of being able to accomplish their dreams," said McVarnock.
He said the RCMP is usually very silent in commenting about something like this but the police force knows suicide in the North is a very serious issue with numbers disproportionate to other regions of the world.
During a press conference in Iqaluit to introduce Pilakapsi shortly after his graduation, however, RCMP Supt. Howard Eaton expressed concern about having the young Inuit officer working in his home community, where Pilakapsi had asked to be stationed.
"My concern is these people will get burned out from being the go-to person if anyone wants to talk to a police officer in Inuktitut, night and day, 24/7, so they're going to have to be quite disciplined," said Eaton during the 2011 press conference.
McVarnock said the Mounties are working with the Nunavut suicide prevention working group, other agencies and government on suicide prevention initiatives.
"It is my hope we can learn something from this tragic event (something) we can move forward with for others that come after him through future troops," he said. "We, as the RCMP family, are going to go through significant pain and are going through that pain right now in terms of losing a family member and somebody that was so highly regarded as Adrian."
