The head of the in the Northwest Territories says one of his top priorities is recruiting more Indigenous members and staff.

In his first media address since taking over as commanding officer of the SA国际影视传媒檚 G division in November 2022, Chief Supt. Syd Lecky said recruitment and retention has long been a challenge for police in the territory.

SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檙e open for business,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淩ecruiting in the Northwest Territories is alive and well, especially if we can get folks with the language skills to be able to help support our calls for service,SA国际影视传媒� he said Thursday.

Indigenous people account for about half of the territorySA国际影视传媒檚 population. Lecky said there are currently about six Mounties in the N.W.T. who are Indigenous.

Lecky, who is a member of the Peskotomuhkati First Nation in New Brunswick, said employing Indigenous people from the N.W.T. increases the likelihood they will stay long-term.

Final planning is underway for an Indigenous pre-cadet training program where interested youth across the country attend a three-week training session at the SA国际影视传媒檚 Depot Division in Regina.

SA国际影视传媒淭hat would be my Number 1. If I could make one thing happen today, that would be it,SA国际影视传媒� he said of recruiting more Indigenous members.

SA国际影视传媒淚 do see when I go to the communities and people say to me, SA国际影视传媒業 want to see our people represented in the policing in our communities, of public safety in our communities,SA国际影视传媒� and ISA国际影视传媒檇 love to give that to them.SA国际影视传媒�

Lecky said other policing priorities in the territory include responding to the needs of Indigenous women and girls experiencing family and intimate partner violence, strengthening relationships with Indigenous communities and improving community knowledge and understanding about local police services.

The is also working on an internal plan to enhance its response to target and disrupt the illicit drug and alcohol trade in the territory. Lecky said interdicting, intelligence gathering and training will be key parts of the plan.

SA国际影视传媒淲orking with our communities and our community partners is a key to how we are going to get ahead on this,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檓 confident that weSA国际影视传媒檙e going to make strides in the right direction.SA国际影视传媒�

Lecky noted there has been a spike in opioid toxicity deaths in Hay River.

In January, the N.W.T.SA国际影视传媒檚 chief coroner, Garth Eggenberger, reported there were six such deaths in the town in 2022, largely involving crack cocaine contaminated with fentanyl or carfentanil. Comparatively, there were five opioid toxicity deaths across the territory in 2016, one in 2017, two in 2018, one in 2019, and three in both 2020 and 2021.

Lecky also reiterated a warning against vigilante justice after a group of people assaulted two men suspected of drug trafficking in Fort McPherson, and residents demonstrated outside the home of someone suspected of dealing illicit drugs in Aklavik.

SA国际影视传媒淵es, the wheels of justice sometimes turn slowly, but there are rules by how we must engage and how we conduct our business,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淚 donSA国际影视传媒檛 encourage the public to take matters into their own hands.SA国际影视传媒�

-By Emily Blake, The Canadian Press