Iqaluit police offer counselling to drunk tank regulars

“Hopefully we can get some people the help they need”

By CHRIS WINDEYER

Coun. Mary Wilman speaks during an Iqaluit city council meeting April 26 as Coun. Romeyn Stevenson looks on. Wilman and Stevenson expressed concerns about the city wading into federal politics with a motion condemning the Green Party's opposition to the bowhead whale hunt. (PHOTO BY CHRIS WINDEYER)


Coun. Mary Wilman speaks during an Iqaluit city council meeting April 26 as Coun. Romeyn Stevenson looks on. Wilman and Stevenson expressed concerns about the city wading into federal politics with a motion condemning the Green Party’s opposition to the bowhead whale hunt. (PHOTO BY CHRIS WINDEYER)

Iqaluit’s RCMP detachment has made a few changes is now offering referrals for alcohol counselling to a list of usual suspects who turn up in the RCMP’s drunk tank as often as three or four times per week.

“Hopefully we can get some people the help they need,” said Cpl. Kevin Lewis, during the RCMP’s monthly report to council.

“We have a list of repeat offenders that we see on a regular basis.”

Responding to a question from Coun. Mary Wilman, Lewis said police are working with the Department of Health and Social Services to offer follow-ups to people who take the voluntary counselling.

The program tries to steer people with drinking problems to services offered by Department of Health and Social Services. Lewis said the program is new and there aren’t any statistics available yet on how many people have taken up the offer, made to people picked up for public drunkenness.

Police in Iqaluit routinely say more than 90 per cent of their calls are drug or alcohol related, so helping Iqalummiut who need it to dry out could also help cut the RCMP’s workload.

“This is a really good move on your part,” said Coun. Mat Knickelbein.

Faster fingerprints

The RCMP is also introducing the LiveScan system, which transmits fingerprints to a central database electronically.

Lewis said the system means people who need to clear criminal background checks for employment will see their wait times cut from “three or four months to two to three weeks.”

“It’s a breath of fresh air compared to the old system,” Lewis said.

Knickelbein and councillors Romeyn Stevenson and Simon Nattaq praised the new system. Stevenson said he knows of people who have lost job opportunities because it took so long for their fingerprints to clear a background check.

Council whales on Green Party platform

The Green Party’s opposition to the bowhead whale hunt drew the ire of city council, which passed a resolution urging the party to change its policy.

The Greens oppose the hunt because they say the bowhead whale is an endangered species. It’s not, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada has given Iqaluit hunters the all-clear for a bowhead hunt this summer.

Mayor Madeleine Redfern said the resolution is worded “positively” to encourage the Greens to change their platform.

But Stevenson and Wilman expressed discomfort with city council criticizing a national political party during a federal election campaign, even if they backed the resolution’s principle.

“There are lots of platform details from all parties” that council could take issue with, Stevenson said, although he eventually voted in favour of the motion.

Wilman said council shouldn’t cherrypick policies to protest.

Knickelbein said the motion was a chance for city council to speak out against negative stereotypes of Inuit hunters.

The motion carried 6-0, with Wilman abstaining and Coun. Joanasie Akumalik away on duty travel.

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