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INUVIK
After increasing reports of vandalism from around town, one concerned Inuvik resident finally said enough is enough.

Paul MacDonald has started a volunteer group called ICOPS, or Inuvik Citizens on Patrol.

The group will patrol areas of Inuvik and report suspicious activity to the RCMP. The dates and times of the patrols will be random.

"There's a core group of troublemakers and I don't want them knowing our routine," said MacDonald.

In an effort to protect the residents who donate their time, vehicles, cell phones and gas, a private Facebook group has been created.

"We've got to be careful with privacy," said MacDonald. "We don't want people scared of being targeted."

For MacDonald, the last straw was an attempted car bomb on Sept. 24.

"Someone could have been killed or seriously hurt," he said. "That was it. I thought someone has to do something."

ICOPS is solely based on observing and reporting. Volunteers have to be over the age of 19 and have a clean criminal record check. The first meeting was held Sunday and the common theme was people wanting to do more to help their community.

"The vandalism is just getting out of hand," said MacDonald. "I don't understand, I wish I had a solution."

While ICOPS may not prevent all vandalism, more eyes watching the streets may mean less serious damage done.

"We have to be very clear," said MacDonald. "This group is not about gossip, and there are severe restrictions on specific information that can be posted. All we can do is drive around and call the RCMP if anything looks wrong."

There are rules for volunteers. They have to be paired up and they're not allowed to leave their vehicle. The group isn't about vigilante justice, but about helping a busy RCMP detachment, according to MacDonald.

"Some of the RCMP officers are pretty new and there's are only so many hours in a day," he said. "You can't be everywhere at once, so by adding citizens on the streets it's more people watching for the safety of Inuvik."

MacDonald has also been in contact with the RCMP, making sure there aren't any problems with the legality of a citizen patrol group.

Staff Sgt. Jerry McKenna was at the first meeting as an observer.

"Any help is appreciated," he said, adding that it's always important to be safe.

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