CRIME AND VIOLENCE ESCALATING IN NUNAVIK

There is a growing concern with the escalation in crime in our region.

The police are constantly dealing with hate, hurt and other violent acts. An
estimated 95 per cent of the violence we deal with is directly related to
drug and alcohol abuse. Drug and alcohol abuse is at an all-time high and
considering the fact that our population is growing, it seems that it will
only get higher.

Organized crime, once only a distant problem that we read about or saw as
images of biker gangs and terrorists on television, has started to touch our
communities. Organized crime has impacted not only the police force, but
also the citizens. The police are taking a stand and not tolerating illegal
activities related to drug and alcohol trafficking.

However they have to deal with the ramifications: many individuals react
with violence to withdrawal from drugs and to the stoppage of the illegal
cash flow. These ramifications also affect the community. That is just one
tip of the iceberg.

Another aspect of this issue is that the introduction of alcohol and drugs
in the past had a really big impact on the once simple lives of the
generations before us. We now see the "all day/night," FAS/FAE and children
exposed to violence. The cycle goes on.

We cannot forget about the sexual abuse that was evident in both the
environment surrounding the alcohol/drug abuse and also within public
institutions. Today we are still dealing with the problems, but on a wider
scale due to the growing population.

There is a lot of anger and hurt in some of the members of our communities
and there is too much of an attitude of "let's analyze" and buck passing and
"dealing with kid gloves." The ultimate result is that suicide has become a
huge concern, and it is only growing.

Our justice system is overloaded and our detention areas are often
overloaded as well. It is true that we need improved justice services and
detention facilities, but we also need to look at the reasons why so many of
our people end up in jail.

People often take out their frustrations with the justice system on the
police force, the differences being only vaguely understood.

For example, communities have to understand 1) that everything we do is
based on evidence of a criminal act, 2) we submit this evidence to the
justice system (crown prosecutor), and 3) depending on the evidence, the
case reaches the court stage.

Once the case reaches the court stage, it is out of the police force's
hands. If the individual is charged and detained, he or she is now in the
hands of the correctional services system. If he or she is released without
charges, this is due to a lack of evidence. If he or she is released into
the community, that is the decision of the justice system and a lot of the
time, we ourselves are outraged, especially if it jeopardizes the safety of
our communities.

On the last note (and I hope that I haven't lost you by now!), I have been
saying for a long time now that we as community officials, as parents and
community members, should put our differences aside and work together for
the future of our little ones and solidify and preserve what traditions we
have left.

Let us put the past behind us to pave a better and safer future. Deep down
inside we are all the same, just different cultures and backgrounds.

I believe the police are doing the best they can, under difficult
circumstances where they are frequently subjected to personal verbal and
violent attacks, including being shot at.

The one thing to be understood is that they are only human, with a hard job.

George Okpik
Kuujjuaq