Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, it is appropriate today that the Minister of Justice gave credit to the RCMP. I was at the awards ceremony last week and I think all of us have to recognize that we have a tremendous police force here in the Northwest Territories. But, unless we get that police force adequate resources, they won't be able to do their job.
Today, I want to talk about policing in the capital city. We are very fortunate in the capital city to have an excellent police force. The RCMP, with their limited resources, do a tremendous job. Staff Sergeant Grundy and the officers in the Yellowknife detachment are doing a lot with inadequate resources. But, the reality is, crime is increasing steadily. In Yellowknife, violent crimes are increasing at an alarming rate, drug crimes are up, and property damage is increasing. Even at the best of times, with the limited manpower here in Yellowknife, there are only five or six officers on duty.
I will give you an example. With holidays and sick time today, for instance, in the city of Yellowknife, there are only three officers protecting a city of 17,000. My understanding is that the detachment is understaffed by six to 10 people, which I find unacceptable. I brought this situation up to the Minister in the past. The Minister assured me at that time that something would be done. I gave the example of Donny Brooks in front of the Gold Range Cafe. At times 100 or 200 people are outside that bar, fights break out, and three or four officers can do nothing. They have to sit and watch it unfold.
The situation now is that shoplifting, bicycle thefts and minor traffic accidents have to be ignored by the RCMP because they don't have the resources to deal with those sorts of investigations. It would be impossible today to deal with a major incident in the city of Yellowknife. There are no resources to conduct ongoing investigations.
So, the situation here in Yellowknife is becoming more and more of an issue. I appreciate the fact that the Minister is looking at innovative solutions to policing across the territories.
Madam Speaker, I would like to seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.