Will Iqaluit beer-wine store affect crime? Too soon to tell, cops say

Staff-Sgt. Matco Sirotic told Iqaluit City Councillors Sept. 26 that it’s too soon to tell if the new Iqaluit beer and wine store will affect crime rates. (PHOTO BY BETH BROWN)

Members of the Iqaluit RCMP say it’s going to take at least six months of statistical analysis before they’ll know if Iqaluit’s beer and wine store will raise crime rates, Staff Sgt. Matco Sirotic said Sept. 26, in a report to Iqaluit City Council.

After the weekend that followed the store’s launch, the RCMP released a statement saying the detachment saw no spike in alcohol-related crime.

On the first day of the recent sitting of the legislative assembly, Justice Minister Keith Peterson used that RCMP report to talk about the beer and wine project, saying he was pleased by response to the Iqaluit beer-wine store, but planned to monitor it closely with the RCMP.

The real impact of the store will take more than a few weeks to figure out, Sirotic said.

He said calls to police were low during the second weekend after the store opened but that the detachment was inundated with calls on the third weekend.

“It’s too new for us to talk about a trend but we are keeping a close eye on this and updating statistics every weekend and through the week as well.”

Once there is a backlog of crime data, the Iqaluit detachment will be able to tell if more officers are needed in the city, but only if that data shows increased prisoner counts and alcohol-related charges for the period following the store’s opening.

“To gain personnel in a quick fashion, it’s with stats,” Sirotic said.

The new beer and wine store in Iqaluit is a three-year pilot project started by the Government of Nunavut as a harm reduction measure to cut back on bootlegging and binge-drinking.

The RCMP report to councillors showed that, in general, the number of calls rose over the summer months.

Following the report, councillors asked questions about loitering and drug trafficking.

“I’ve had business owners ask me if the RCMP could step up and try to curb the drug trafficking in front of their local stores,” Coun. Terry Dobbin said.

Sirotic said the detachment’s Crime Reduction Unit, which is responsible for drug trafficking in Iqaluit, has recently added a staff member.

“I foresee them to do a lot better in that sphere. That’s a big part of their mandate,” he said.

Sirotic did point out a clear difference between loitering and drug sales when Coun. Jason Rochon said residents have complained about child safety outside grocery stores.

Rochon asked if a city bylaw against loitering could help the RCMP deal with the problem.

“If we’re talking about drug trafficking, that’s really not loitering,” Sirotic said.

“It’s perceived that way to the people,” he said, but added that the onus is on the RCMP to deal with it and that a loitering fine is not comparable to a criminal charge for trafficking drugs.

Dobbin also asked if any illegal sales of fentanyl have been seen in the city.

Sirotic said the police know of no instances of fentanyl turning up in the territory, but that an antidote, naloxone, is available at health centres.