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Yellowknife short about one-third of staff

G Division SA¹ú¼ÊÓ°ÊÓ´«Ã½” which represents the wider NWT SA¹ú¼ÊÓ°ÊÓ´«Ã½” has a vacancy rate of about 30 per cent
Walter Strong/NNSL photoYellowknife  headquarters on June 2, 2015.
The Yellowknife are fighting crime with 15 positions currently vacant. NNSL file photo

Yellowknife are operating with a complement of officers that's well short of full staffing.

The city's detachment is coping with 15 of 47 regular member positions vacant, Cpl. Josh Seaward told SA¹ú¼ÊÓ°ÊÓ´«Ã½ on June 19.

That leaves a staffing gap of about 32 per cent.

Speaking at city hall earlier this month, Insp. Kurtis Pillipow told city councillors one issue that the police are currently facing is a staffing shortage. Pillipow added that more police officers are coming to work in Yellowknife, however.

SA¹ú¼ÊÓ°ÊÓ´«Ã½ followed up with , asking to speak with Pillipow about the shortage, but that request was declined.

Seaward did, however, note that the vacant positions have been a sustained reality for some time and it's not unique to the Yellowknife detachment.

"Many law-enforcement agencies have faced recruitment challenges in recent years," he said. SA¹ú¼ÊÓ°ÊÓ´«Ã½œHowever, we are fortunately seeing improvement on that front." 

have confirmed to SA¹ú¼ÊÓ°ÊÓ´«Ã½ that at least five officers are incoming, though a precise date for their arrival has not been shared.

But even with new members on the way, it's unlikely to make much of a difference. Seaward explained that while some members are slated to transfer in, others are transferring out.

"There is always fluctuation," he said. "Our model is flexible to absorb these realities, and these fluctuations generally do not result in any impact on front-line policing services provided by our detachments."

G Division SA¹ú¼ÊÓ°ÊÓ´«Ã½” which represents the entire NWT SA¹ú¼ÊÓ°ÊÓ´«Ã½” has a vacancy rate of about 30 per cent, according to Seaward. ThatSA¹ú¼ÊÓ°ÊÓ´«Ã½™s an improvement over the 36 per cent vacancy rate from last quarter, he noted.

have pledged to increase their presence downtown, but say theySA¹ú¼ÊÓ°ÊÓ´«Ã½™re unable to quantify what that increase will look like.

 



About the Author: Devon Tredinnick

Devon Tredinnick is a reporter for SA¹ú¼ÊÓ°ÊÓ´«Ã½. Originally from Ottawa, he's also a recent journalism graduate from Carleton University.
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