Rankin celebrates dry Christmas success

Rankin Inlet experienced a sharp decline in alcohol-related crimes during the holiday season, the RCMP said, mainly because of residents’ participation in a dry Christmas for the second year in a row.

During the dry period, which ran from Dec. 14 to Jan. 3, the hamlet council and the RCMP requested that the airlines not transport liquor to the area. The goal was for residents, especially children, to enjoy a peaceful holiday, relatively free of alcohol and crime.

Sgt. Tom Kasdorf of the Rankin Inlet police detachment described the temporary ban as a success because of the decrease in the number of liquor-related offences.

“Probably 90 per cent of our calls are related to liquor one way or another,” Sgt. Kasdorf said. “Most of our calls are domestics or assaults or mischiefs, which are all alcohol-related. Because of the ban we had a definite decrease in those types of calls.”

In the seven days before the ban, RCMP officers responded to 35 alcohol-related calls. In comparison, Sgt. Kasdorf said there were only a dozen alcohol-related crimes over the 21-day dry period.

“There was still a little alcohol floating around. People had stocked up on it before the ban,” he said.

Hamlet councillor Levinia Brown, who called on residents to participate in a dry Christmas, said she was pleased with the outcome. She said community feasts, as well as many private parties she attended were alcohol-free.