When Insp. Alexandre Laporte took the reins as officer in charge at Yellowknife detachment two and a half months ago, the city's new top cop took on three mandated policing priorities.
They are: increased visibility downtown; drug and gang enforcement; and addressing frequent detainees in new ways.
In a sit-down interview with Laporte SA国际影视传媒� who has been stationed in the city for 10 of his 16 years with the SA国际影视传媒� the Quebec-born Mountie said trust can play a key role in making progress on that trio of objectives.
Insp. Laporte said community policing SA国际影视传媒� a SA国际影视传媒減illarSA国际影视传媒� of law enforcement SA国际影视传媒� is integral.
SA国际影视传媒淚t's important for us to be seen and to provide that sense of presence for the public,SA国际影视传媒� said Laporte.
Community policing SA国际影视传媒� from talks at schools to neighbourhood visits SA国际影视传媒� includes downtown foot patrols, an element of work Laporte said the detachment has embraced as part of its culture.
By getting out, walking around and SA国际影视传媒渆ngagingSA国际影视传媒� in the downtown, officers are SA国际影视传媒渃reating that proximity, that relationship with the public, the business owners, with clients,SA国际影视传媒� he said.
This year's priority to address high user needs in different ways, described by as collaborating on a SA国际影视传媒渕ulti-disciplinary intervention program intended to mitigate frequent detainees,SA国际影视传媒� also leans on the community, Laporte said.
As a former pro-hockey player who understands the importance of team-work, Yellowknife's top cop Insp. Alexandre Laporte says he aims to tackle a number of priorities SA国际影视传媒� and strengthen the relationship between police and the public SA国际影视传媒� through a continued emphasis on community policing.
Through grassroots partnerships with community organizations such as the the mobile Street Outreach program, he said frequent detainees are being diverted from jail cells and given the help they need, in turn alleviating resources to SA国际影视传媒渁llow police officers to be police officers.SA国际影视传媒�
From 2016 to 2017, calls for service for mischief and public intoxication dropped 13 per cent. The number of prisoner's held at the Yellowknife detachment has seen a steady decline, too, with 65,000 in 2014 to 27,000 last year.
Laporte said the force has been able to directly link these positive results with the assistance they've received from community partners. Freed up resources, he said, have resulted in more eyes on the road, with a 30 per cent upswing in the number of impaired driving charges from 2016 to 2017.
As for drugs and gangs, Laporte admitted enforcement is an ongoing battle, but again stressed the need for community policing in confronting their presence.
He cited the success 2016's Project Green Manalishi SA国际影视传媒� a large-scale probe into high-level drug trafficking SA国际影视传媒� as an example.
SA国际影视传媒淎ll of those investigations are triggered by information we collect from the public. Creating an environment where people are willing to come forward is very, very important to me,SA国际影视传媒� said Laporte.
Speaking on January's unresolved gun-point robbery at Reddi Mart, Laporte said the force has put SA国际影视传媒渁 lot of resources intoSA国际影视传媒� the investigation.
SA国际影视传媒淭hose cases, somebody knows something and it's about creating that environment,again, where they feel safe and they have trust in the ,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淭he ability to go to people and for people to come to us in times of crisis SA国际影视传媒� those relationships are gold.SA国际影视传媒�
SA国际影视传媒淎ll this leads to that trust ... and that's what I'm trying to do,SA国际影视传媒� he added.
Laporte said the force has made strides strengthening public trust, but said there's always room for improvement.
With his promotion following the departure of Insp. Matt Peggs in February, Laporte now oversees 48 Mounties and 10 administrative support staff at the detachment SA国际影视传媒� a responsibility he doesn't take lightly.
As high-risk job, Laporte said he's committed to fostering a SA国际影视传媒渟afe and inclusive workplace for everyone,SA国际影视传媒� SA国际影视传媒� one he hopes will upend stubborn attitudes about mental health.
SA国际影视传媒淏reaking those barriers down, those stigmas; that old culture that exists in some fields that says 'you need to be tough.' No, people need to talk.SA国际影视传媒�
On legal pot's roll out
With the legalization of marijuana looming, Laporte said Yellowknife is ready SA国际影视传媒� but waiting for cues from the government.
SA国际影视传媒淲e've been very proactive in training our members ...training drug recognition experts to allow us to further investigate roadside when an officer suspects someone may be driving impaired,SA国际影视传媒� he said.
SA国际影视传媒淲e're preparing as best we can and waiting for the legislation to come so we know exactly what we're working with.SA国际影视传媒�
Laporte wouldn't say if he held any concerns about legalization's fast-approaching roll out, but said the SA国际影视传媒渃ommunity, in general, is anticipating the changes.SA国际影视传媒�
On Indigenous representation, diversity on the force
SA国际影视传媒淔rom the 's perspective we want to be as diverse as we can be in the communities we serve. Indigenous recruitment is important, as well as other cultures,SA国际影视传媒� said Laporte.
According to Laporte, 82 per cent of the detachment's members attended a Dene cultural camp last year in Dettah.
