Nunavut RCMP field many holiday calls, nearly half from Iqaluit

The space beside the green garbage bin in this photo used to hold an automated teller machine or ATM operated by Iqaluit business person Terry Dobbin inside the Tumiit Plaza building. Dobbin said on Facebook that thieves stole the ATM on Dec. 28. and that he’s asking anyone with information that could lead to recovery of the machine to contact him at 222-1632—all calls confidential. It appears as if somebody unbolted the ATM from the floor and carried it out of the building. (PHOTO BY THOMAS ROHNER)

The Nunavut RCMP responded to 588 calls over the holiday period. About four in 10 of those calls occurred in Iqaluit. (FILE PHOTO)

The RCMP in Nunavut says its officers throughout the territory were busier than ever over the recent holiday period.

Overall, calls for service were up—568 this year, up from 555 last year—according to a recent RCMP release.

And about four in 10 calls to the RCMP came from Iqaluit, the release said, where, among other incidents, on Dec. 29 members of the Nunavut RCMP arrested an armed teen after an early-morning foot chase through Iqaluit.

The youth, 18, is alleged to have robbed a restaurant take-out driver.

On Dec. 28 thieves also stole an automated teller machine or ATM, operated by Iqaluit business person Terry Dobbin, from inside the Tumiit Plaza building, in a clean heist that looks as if those responsible unbolted the ATM from the floor and carried it out of the building.

They weren’t caught on a video camera—which, Tumiit workers told Nunatsiaq News, does not function.

In Nunavut, from Dec. 23 to Jan. 2, calls to the RCMP included:

• 225 complaints for mischief or causing a disturbance;

• 23 Liquor Act complaints;

• 59 assault complaints; and,

• nine impaired driver complaints.

In Cambridge Bay, police also investigated the death of Susie Mingilgak, 46, whose body was found Dec. 23 in a residence.

Her death was later “deemed to be non-criminal in nature and no foul play is suspected at this time.”

Police also conducted 56 vehicle check stops across Nunavut, checking more than 1,000 vehicles throughout holidays.

“The focus was on education and prevention rather than enforcement and found the number of impaired driver complaints were the same as last year,” police said.