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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Mayor-elect Mark Heyck says the idea he floated last week of a city-hired RCMP force to police the downtown core has a long way to go before reaching reality but it's something he hopes city council will discuss early next year.

City-hired RCMP officers to boost police patrols in the downtown core is something city council will discuss in the new year, says mayor-elect Mark Heyck. - NNSL file photo

"I think almost all candidates seemed to recognize that additional enforcement is at least part of the solution," he said Monday, when asked why his proposal remained so low key during the municipal election when crime and social issues downtown dominated election issues.

"Many candidates, including myself, don't think that (downtown) enforcement is enough and that you need a comprehensive approach that combines the work of various organizations and members of the business community."

Whether the city actually hires its own RCMP officers for the downtown will depend on how high a priority the new council makes it, said Heyck. He wants to see if he can hire officers through current territorial legislation, and if not, would like to see if legislation can be amended for that purpose.

Currently, there are 42 RCMP officers responsible for policing Yellowknife, according to RCMP Const. Amanda McGillivray. The Mounties are contracted by the territorial government, which pays for all RCMP services in the territory.

Questions as to how many officers would be necessary or where they would be housed or what the costs would be are premature, said Heyck. At some point, council will have to direct administration to do the homework on territorial legislation and bring recommendations, he said.

RCMP Staff Sgt. Colin White, who recently stepped in for detachment commander Insp. David Elliott, said the city doesn't have the power to allocate officers directly. Unlike municipalities of more than 5,000 people in Alberta, where White spent much of his career, Northern communities have to go through the territorial government to make requests for more officers.

"My understanding is that the GNWT is responsible through the Department of Justice for policing and funding for police officers," he said. "I think the City of Yellowknife mayor and council would have go through the GNWT."

Because the remaining weeks of the year will be focused on orientation for the new council and getting them prepared for the 2013 budget, it is unlikely the issue will be considered until the new year when council will consider their goals and objectives for the coming term.

Coun. Cory Vanthuyne, who sat on council's police advisory committee the past three years, said he likes Heyck's idea but it might not be necessary for the city to hire its own officers if more RCMP officers can be freed up from court duty during the day. Vanthuyne agrees with Heyck that more downtown enforcement will depend on how high council will prioritize the issue and how much money will be needed to fund the effort.

"I have the most concern during those (daytime) hours because that is when many of our RCMP officers are serving the court system and the correction system," he said. "That is potentially putting our citizens at risk because that is when there is the most interaction possibilities going on."

Vanthuyne said greater enforcement could come in the form of having officer foot patrols through downtown. The city might also need to give municipal enforcement officers greater powers beyond enforcing against loitering around city facilities, he said.

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