Safety concerns prompt renewed push for community liaison role in Cambridge Bay

Cambridge Bay is seeking funding to join a new community safety pilot program, as concerns about public safety linger in the wake of a violent assault earlier this month.

Three men face charges including aggravated assault, forcible confinement and drug trafficking following a July 8 incident that sent two men to an Edmonton hospital with serious injuries. A fourth suspect has been charged with two counts of assault.

In the aftermath, unconfirmed rumours about an armed threat and possible lockdown spread quickly through the community.

A town hall meeting was later held by local and territorial leaders where residents voiced their concerns and leaders proposed ideas to improve safety.

One possibility raised during the meeting was to introduce a community safety liaison officer trained to address concerns before they escalate.

“In a situation like Cambridge Bay, community consultation was missing,” said Marla Limousin, executive director of the Nunavut Association of Municipalities.

“The [community safety liaison officers], who are employees of the municipality, could have organized that town hall meeting as soon as concerns started to develop.”

A former senior administrative officer in Cambridge Bay, Rankin Inlet, and Pond Inlet, Limousin said senior administrative officers can be overburdened when a state of emergency is declared.

She said the officer can help by taking on critical tasks such as managing the emergency command centre and supporting the mayor with media and community communications.

“[They] would help eliminate the rumour, address the fear, and work toward the resolve,” she said.

The community safety liaison two-year pilot program was launched this spring by Nunavut Association of Municipalities with $1.8 million in federal funding. It operates in four communities: Gjoa Haven, Pond Inlet, Kugaaruk and Baker Lake.

Cambridge Bay had hoped to be one of the pilot communities, but missed the April 7 application deadline. The hamlet is now looking for other streams for funding, Cambridge Bay Mayor Wayne Gregory said.

Each liaison officer is a full-time employee trained to co-ordinate responses to events such as fires, floods and search-and-rescue operations, Limousin said.

They work closely with RCMP detachments, fire departments, health centres, justice services and territorial and federal partners such as the Canadian Coast Guard, Canadian Rangers and victim services.

“These liaison officers aren’t emergency responders,” Limousin said. “They are trained to help address the non-emergency safety concerns, and work closely with residents and services to provide de-escalation before it becomes a crisis.”

The four liaison officers who have taken on the role have backgrounds in mental health care, emergency management and policing, said Sara Rylott, who helps facilitate training through her Yellowknife-based consulting firm Civic Connections.

Rylott helped develop a 200-page handbook that outlines the first three months of the role, as well as how to organize community safety weeks and awareness campaigns.

“The most important quality is leadership, but also caring about the community and knowing when to reach out to resources,” she said.

Limousin said she hopes the role becomes a fully funded position under the Government of Nunavut by next year.

“Hopefully next year, there’s a nice announcement that all communities, if they need this position, will have funding available for it — and the possibility of expanding it across the region,” she said.