We need social programs, says Nunavik police cadet’s mom

A police call resulting in a tragic death of an officer in Nunavik shook our people and the victims.

Every time a police officer receives a call for help, they take the call, ready to walk into other people’s dramas as peacemakers for citizens.

In the smaller communities of Nunavik, the reality is that there is a shortage of staff at the Kativik Regional Police Force. Therefore when the police respond to a call working in smaller communities other than Kuujjuaq, they tend to have only one or two partners in each town.

This shortage of staff with the police force gives the peacemakers a lack of rest. The lack of rest may cause the police impaired judgment or observation on unpredictable behavior from intoxicated individual(s).

No human should work long hours with little rest, especially when facing numerous incidents of physical or verbal violence.

When my child was three years of age she decided to become a police officer.

She is now a cadet in training. As a mother it is admirable to see a young female considering joining the police force. It is even more astonishing to know this child is Inuk.

Thinking in the back of my mind the risks my child would have to take in her life, I released that urge to control her choices, doing so in faith, knowing that she, even as my own child, has free will, and with her free will she will decide what she wants to do in life.

After the night of March 2, 2013, reality has hit us once again: the death of police officer Steve Dery and his injured partner, also resulting with the death of the man who shot them.

How it did it come this far in such small town? This incident is beyond human comprehension, like old memories of other tragedies triggered by alcohol and drugs.

“No officer should experience such thing,” so we say with our limited understanding of their courage. The shooter also had a right to live as well as Dery, the shooter does have a soul, his soul has eternal life.

How can we prevent the anger from getting out of control, before an individual endangers others in his surrounding, before he hurts himself and others?

That is the plan we often brush aside. Programs for intervention are proposed or displayed in Nunavik, such as rehabs or healing workshops and halfway houses, but they are brushed aside too often.

Some people who recognize they need help admit themselves willingly, they come out in peace, but should we develop a better communication plan for intervention results?

Inuit are known to suffer intergeneration trauma, from the slaughtering of their dogs to residential school abuse, and relocation of their homes. The psychological damage Inuit suffer result in poor parenting skills, poor family values, and yet our Canadian government does not increase the budget for the Kativik Regional Police Force to hire more police, more police who will intervene.

There are many Inuit families living together in peace. It does feel like they are out-numbered by rebellious citizens dwelling in anger, although peaceful families are more numerous than dysfunctional ones.

Dysfunction does try to sound louder or noisier and bigger. Let us stamp our feet hard on dysfunction and say “That is enough!”

(Name withheld by request)
Kangirsuk

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