Thank you for the question.
There is no question that the underlying issues that have led to bringing people into the police realm and the justice system have to be addressed. If we don't deal with the social issues, including mental health and whatever other circumstances people find themselves in, then clearly we're not getting to the root of the problem and we can expect that it will continue. Sometimes the advantage of being in custody for those people is that it's the only opportunity for them to get the treatment they deserve.
It's an unfortunate situation, but especially here in the Northwest Territories and the territories throughout the north there is a lack of adequate supports in some rural and isolated communities. While we try to solve some of our issues in the southern parts and in bigger cities, my goal is to make sure we don't forget that what may work in the south may not always work in some of the rural northern parts of provinces or certainly the territories.