I think it has changed over time. I can't comment on the current situation. I do know that there are 14 communities in the Yukon. Some don't have any policing at all and some have detachments. In Whitehorse we are an urban first nation, so we have a detachment that's located about a mile away from us. However, there were times when we needed the RCMP and they weren't quite there. That relationship was really broken, to a point where our citizens were very frustrated.
I think the safety officer program can help in certain situations. They're not an enforcement body. We surveyed our citizens and 94% said they didn't want the safety officers to be an enforcement body. I really believe that the safety officers can help in situations where there is no policing. They become the eyes and ears of the community. People trust them. It's unbelievable the amount of information they get. That information is then passed on to the RCMP. When major events happen in communities, the safety officers can step in and watch over the community, ensuring that victims get the services they need while the RCMP focus on the major investigations they need to do. We have to work on that relationship and work on educating the RCMP across the country about the program. Many don't understand it. Even MPs, I find, don't understand it. We're constantly having to educate people about it.
Regarding the current relationship, in some cases it works and in some cases it doesn't. I find it's very haphazard.