Madam Speaker, I'm pleased to report that agreement has been reached with the federal government which represents significant progress in the development of new arrangements towards more community control of policing.
Two pilot projects in Fort Good Hope and Coral Harbour will allow for the introduction of a community constable program. Six people from each community were sent to Regina on February 7 to commence three weeks of training at the RCMP academy.
After completing their initial training period, the community constables will be working between 15 and 35 hours a month under the supervision of the RCMP in their respective communities.
In developing these pilot projects with the RCMP, it was considered desirable that there be representation from both Dene and Inuit communities. RCMP members at the detachments of Fort Good Hope and Coral Harbour, and the members of these communities had a special interest in conducting this program. The two communities also offered experience in both one-person and two-person detachments. Accordingly, the RCMP recommended that the communities of Fort Good Hope and Coral Harbour be considered as pilot communities.
The initiation of these projects represent encouraging cooperation between the communities, the RCMP, the Government of the Northwest Territories and the federal government.
The period of these projects is three years. The experience gained will be helpful as the communities of the north and this government search for the optimum ways to provide for community policing. Thank you.
---Applause.