Fort Prov youths charged with five break-ins
Citizens on Patrol group grapples with crime
April Hudson
Northern News Services
Thursday, August 11, 2016
DEH GAH GOT'IE KOE/FORT PROVIDENCE
Two youths from Fort Providence have been charged by RCMP in relation to a string of five break-and-enters, including one in Hay River.
The break-ins occurred between July 13 and 26. Aside from the one at the Hay River Golf Course, the other break-ins occurred in Fort Providence and involved businesses as well as homes.
Information e-mailed out by RCMP on July 28 states the youth were also charged with the theft of a government truck, which was recovered in Fort Providence on July 19.
Both youth appeared before a Justice of the Peace on July 28.
The accused teenagers are between 13-and 15-years-old, said Const. Matt Halstead, a Hay River RCMP media relations officer, in a previous interview.
Crime has been plaguing Fort Providence for the better part of a year now and is attributed largely to a group of youth and young adults in the community.
Months ago, a spree of break-ins led to some community members forming a Citizens on Patrol group, where pairs of adults patrol the streets of the hamlet into the early hours of the morning to deter crime and catch troubled youth who may be breaking a court-mandated curfew.
Citizens on Patrol leader Linda Croft, who also runs the Snowshoe Inn, said the community was seeing up to five break-ins per day with perpetrators growing bolder as time passed.
"Some of them were going into homes more than once per day, when people were sleeping in their beds. They were starting to show no fear," she said.
"What we've been seeing is groups of teens and young adults at all hours of the night . I personally felt they were getting braver."
Croft says it appears numbers are growing for the group of troublemakers, which appears to involve youth as young as 13 and adults into their 20s.
However, the Citizens on Patrol numbers are growing as well, and Croft said she is looking at making a schedule so teams do not have to spend every night out - something that causes a strain on community members who have jobs to go to the following morning after their shift.
She said there have also been cases, following a theft, where the victim knows who the perpetrator is and visits them personally to retrieve stolen items.
One recent break-in led to a statement being made to RCMP, Croft said.
"One of our tenants got broken into twice, and over $5,000 was stolen. Some of those items we did retrieve," she said.
"The young fellow came out, apologized and admitted what he did . I feel we have a lot more community support than we used to."
Leaders in Fort Providence have also been meeting to discuss the problem, and some community members are trying to organize a general community meeting in order to facilitate a discussion as well.
Deh Gah Got'ie Chief Joachim Bonnetrouge stated in an e-mail that leaders have taken a couple approaches in pursuit of a solution.
"We have tried a number of things, including in-house counselling and community street patrols," Bonnetrouge wrote.
"Because we (are) dealing with juveniles, many agencies' (and) authorities' hands are tied."
Bonnetrouge said he believes the true solution has to come from the families of the youth in question.
"My final take on this crisis is (it's) really up to the youth's parents. I will await 'till they ask for help," he stated.
"Everything begins at home."
But not all community members are as hopeful. Croft said she has in the past tried to speak to some family members of suspects but has gotten nowhere.
"I feel there's no hope of (appealing to families)," she said.
