Thank you. No further questions.

Thank you. Mr. Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'd just like to follow up on some questions that Mr. Vanthuyne was asking in regard to my riding. In the communities, not Fort Liard, not Fort Simpson, and not Wrigley, but the other three communities, do we have a number of visits that they're supposed to be allocated per year? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just to go through the number of patrols; there's a series of them. Perhaps I can just read them in. In Colville Lake, there were 14 patrols in 2015; in 2016, there were eight; and in 2017, there were 15. In Wrigley, I see that there were 24 patrols in 2015; 25 in 2016; and, again, 25 in 2017. Of course that would be out of the Fort Simpson detachment. In Sambaa K'e, there were six patrols in 2015, three patrols in 2016, and seven patrols in 2017. In Nahanni Butte, there were 11 patrols in 2015; 15 patrols in 2016; and apparently we don't have the information from last year yet. Jean Marie River, there were eight patrols in 2015, eight in 2016, and nine in 2017. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Thompson.

I thank the Minister for that answer. I guess my question is: are these scheduled patrols or are they on demand when people phone them in? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. Minister.

Clearly, in part, they would be on demand. If something came up that required the presence of the RCMP, they would attend. Otherwise, there is a schedule, but that's not for public consumption. It's probably better as far as policing for the patrols to be somewhat irregular and not known to the general public. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Thompson.

Thank you, and I understand you don't want to be showing the schedule, but I guess my question, though, is: does each community get "X" amount of visits per year, not including the patrols? I'm actually saying, it is scheduled to go in there. The people say overnight, they actually meet with Council, they meet with the people. Do these things happen? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister. I understand that it depends somewhat on operational requirements and the ability to have residences for them to stay in, but again, we are confident that these communities, even if they don't have a detachment, are being properly policed by the RCMP. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I thank the Minister for that answer. I understand there are feelings towards this, but when leadership asks, you know, are the RCMP, on a regular basis, especially smaller communities, they're looking for a presence; and when I'm saying "a presence," it's also good PR working with them, working with the schools, making sure it's more of a positive relationship. So does the Minister, when they talk to the RCMP, discuss this option? I'll leave it with that right now, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. It's not as though the police are only going to these communities in response to criminal activities. So when they do go to the communities, I know their presence is known. I know that, in some of the communities, whether there's a detachment or not, the police are not as busy as they might be, they are quite involved in the communities. So I have no concern about that. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Can the Minister then work with the department and work with the RCMP and provide us with an update -- it can be confidential -- on how many visits they go into the smaller communities, and some of the things that they do besides police work? In other words, besides the investigations and that, some of the things that they do. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. In response to an earlier question, I did identify the number of visits that the RCMP were making. Clearly these were not all in response to offences in the community, but I would be happy to bring over somebody to meet with committee, should committee wish, from the RCMP to discuss what goes on apart from the regular policing in the communities. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate the Minister's commitment on that. I guess, would it be easier just for me to work with the detachment in Fort Simpson to see what is going on there and work with them on this matter? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. Minister.

Well, generally speaking, I think it would be better to work through the Yellowknife office, where the commanding officer is. Thank you.