Thank you, Mr. Nakimayak. Minister Sebert.
Yes, we are always trying to look at ways to enhance policing protection for our communities, so we are open to looking at new suggestions, but I don't want to hold out false hopes that we would be able to have a detachment in every community. That does not seem likely or possible, but, as I say, we are looking at ways to look at the delivery of police services more efficient and as good as we can make it, if I can put it that way. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Sebert. Mr. Nakimayak.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate the response from the Minister and his staff. I don't have anything else. Thank you.
Thank you. Next on our list we have Mr. Vanthuyne.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chair, of course we all know that this past year the government legalized the use of cannabis, and so I would just like to maybe start by getting an understanding or some feedback from the Minister with regard to, since the legalization, how has the Department of Justice, or in particular the RCMP, been doing as it relates to getting a handle on or understanding the effects the legalization of cannabis has had with regard to public conduct, in particular driving under the influence? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. Minister Sebert.
Yes. Thank you. Certainly, the public engagement that we went through in the fall highlighted a number of concerns for residents about enforcement and the prevention of drug-impaired driving, and, of course, police use their skills every day. There are a number of tools that they can use to detect imperilled driving, including the standardized field sobriety testing (SFST) and drug recognition expert (DRE) evaluations. So there has been training, and I understand that a fair number of officers are SFST certified, including seven in Yellowknife, three in Behchoko, one in Hay River, one in Fort Simpson, one in Fort Liard, and two in Inuvik, and some have been trained or recertified. Rather than going through the individual statistics, there is a target of 90 percent. The commanding officer has directed that all regular members of a division complete the SFST review and introduction to drug-impaired driving online course, with a target of 90 percent by the end of the fiscal year. As of January 21, 2019, 151 members or 77.4 percent have completed the course.
So this important issue is being treated seriously by the RCMP, and that is where we are at with respect to that. I asked earlier today whether any charges have been laid with respect to this, drug-impaired driving, and I am not aware of any that have been laid since, what was the magic date, October 17th. That doesn't mean it won't happen. Certainly, there have been a lot or impaired driving charges of the traditional kind imposed since then. The training is taking place. The police are prepared. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister Sebert. Mr. Vanthuyne.
All right. Well, that is appreciated. I appreciate the detailed update and letting us know. It gives confidence to the public at large that RCMP are being trained specifically on the Standardized Field Sobriety Testing. Is the SFST the actual mechanism or means for which we are testing as it relates to driving under the influence with the use of cannabis? Is that the actual test that is specifically used for that? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. Mr. Goldney.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. There are a number of tests available and tools available for the RCMP to enforce impaired driving. The Standard Field Sobriety Test is often used as a way to determine if there is an indication of impairment, which then might lead to use of an oral fluid device or the use of a drug-recognition expert to get the expert evidence required to prosecute those offences. There are a number of tools that are available for the RCMP to use to enforce impaired driving. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Goldney. Mr. Vanthuyne.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just lastly, I appreciate the further information. How is the department, in particular the RCMP, working with communities and schools and other stakeholders with regard to communications around the use of cannabis but, in particular, you know, driving under the influence? Are we working with organizations like MADD and other groups? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. Mr. Goldney.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I can report that the RCMP does work with community partners in its awareness campaign. I think it is an important partner in those awareness campaigns because they do have some experiences that they can share and do have opportunity to reach kids in school. Of course, it is not the RCMP alone when it comes to cannabis awareness and impaired driving awareness. There are other partners beyond the RCMP and the Department of Justice who have complementary work, including the Department of Health and the Department of Transportation and MACA and other partners who are working to raise awareness about cannabis use. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Goldney. Next, we have Mr. McNeely.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Minister, in his opening remarks, had mentioned to the highlight bullet number one here on forced growth funding to provide these types of initiatives, including training. Years ago, the special constable really played a vital role in assisting the police officers here years ago and, in some case, even survival on the land as they made their trips out to the different outpost camps.
Can the Minister elaborate if some of this forced growth amount will be or is looking at being designated towards a special constable program in some of the communities that do not have detachments, such as Tsiigehtchic and Cold Lake, for example, if there is a training program that is going to be looked at for a special-constable-type liaison person in those communities? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. McNeely. Mr. Goldney.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The training dollars identified in the budget are really there to reflect the mandatory training increases that have been set federally. Unfortunately, none of them are directed at a special constable program. They are really there to address things like the need for improved training for drug enforcement and other mandatory training set by the federal government. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Goldney. Mr. McNeely.
Yes. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thanks to the deputy minister for that reply. Is it the wish of the department moving forward into this new fiscal year to look at further, different federal funding sources to access to apply toward this special constable liaison program, if it is, in fact, one of the desires of the department? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. McNeely. Minister Sebert.
Yes. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Of course, we are always looking to our partners, if I put it that way, in Ottawa for increased funding for these important projects, including the issue of First Nation policing. The answer is yes, we will be approaching them on various items, including First Nations policing and positions. Yes, I guess is the simple answer. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister Sebert. Next on the list, we have Mr. Thompson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would just like to follow up on questions by Mr. McNeely there. In regard to the special constable, has the department been looking at this as an opportunity to get more Indigenous police officers in the system? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister Sebert.
Yes. It is important, of course, that the RCMP, to a large extent, reflect the population with whom they are dealing. I do believe that they hope to recruit more Aboriginal officers. Certainly, that would be our wish. I can express that, certainly, to the commanding officer. I believe they do wish to do that. As I say, it is important that, in a population that is roughly 50 percent Aboriginal, a large number of the police officers are Aboriginal themselves. Yes, the police do understand this concern, as do we. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister Sebert. Mr. Thompson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Again, I understand, you know, Indigenous RCMP regular officers, but have we looked at, you know, special constables like we have done in the past where, you know, you are getting a local individual to train, to be able to help the members who are coming in, and to assimilate into the community and have a face the community knows who to talk to? Is the department looking at the opportunity? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister Sebert.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. We do understand the importance of special constables in the past history of the RCMP and the invaluable service that they did provide. We have been seeking federal expansion of the First Nations Policing Program. We do recognize that this is an important issue. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Sebert. Mr. Thompson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just to clarify, are we actually asking the federal government to look at reinstating this type of program, or is it just something that we are talking about? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister Sebert.
Yes. Rather than looking at a new program, we are looking at expansion of the current program, if I can put it that way. Again, we are seeking federal expansion of the program. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister Sebert. Mr. Thompson.
Okay. Thank you. Can the Minister expand on what this program is that we are talking about? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister Sebert.
Yes. The program that we are seeking expansion on is for the First Nations Policing Program. Perhaps Mr. Goldney could speak to where we are with respect to our efforts, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Sebert. Deputy Minister Goldney.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The First Nations Policing Program is not quite the Aboriginal Constable Program, but it is a program from the federal government to support Aboriginal communities in the provision of policing services, and it does offer a different cost-sharing arrangement than our current police services agreement with the federal government.
We have long maintained as a territory that our communities shouldn't be treated differently than other Aboriginal communities in the country, and we should be able to benefit from that program. That would allow the RCMP to have more resources funded from the First Nations Policing Program applied to communities in the Northwest Territories. That has been a longstanding topic of discussion amongst all of the territories and our federal partner. We continue the work to see that expansion and are hopeful that we will find some success in that engagement and see additional resources applied to the RCMP that way. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Deputy Minister Goldney. Mr. Thompson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. In other words, it is just more funding so that we can cover the costs a little bit more; we are not looking at developing a training program or a program for local Indigenous people that may assist the RCMP to do a better job? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister Sebert.
Certainly we do encourage our Aboriginal citizens to consider a career in the RCMP, so we are encouraging them from that point of view. As I said earlier, we do need a police force that is reflective of the people that they serve. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Sebert. Mr. Thompson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am assuming that, no, we are just utilizing the RCMP as they are presently in place. I will go on to another question. Can the Minister please explain how the new cannabis regime affects the RCMP's ability to charge and prosecute drug dealers, given the legal possession limit presently? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister Sebert.
Well, the legalization of marijuana, cannabis, was long contemplated, of course, going back to the Le Dain Commission in the 1970s. At least in my community, the great concern about drugs is very little with the so-called soft drugs, but with the harder drugs, which are still illegal to possess and certainly traffic. In many ways, this change, in my view, is actually helpful to the RCMP. They won't be wasting their time with minor possession charges, which, if contested, they would have to prove in the past that it was marijuana and so forth. I would hope that this would free up the police to pursue the real criminals, those that are dealers, particularly in the hard drugs.
The courts clearly treat those matters very seriously, as do the RCMP. As I said, the fact that now the minor charges that used to clog the courts and give people records are no longer before the courts, of course, for possessing small amounts. I would say that this change in the law should actually enhance the ability of the RCMP to pursue the really serious criminals, those dealing in hard drugs. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
