Gillam Detachment

Contact Information:
Box 309
Gillam, MB
R0B 0L0
Ph: (204) 652-2436
Fax: (204) 652-2136

Location:
The detachment is situated on the Nelson River approximately 1,000 km northeast of Winnipeg. We are responsible for policing a large area, much of which is uninhabited. An all-season road connects Gillam to Thompson and Calm Air flies directly to and from Winnipeg.

Local Population:
The population of the town of Gillam is approximately 1200 people. Fox Lake First Nation in Bird, Manitoba, situated approximately 50 km northeast of Gillam has a population of about 125 people. Ilford, about 80 km southwest of Gillam, is home of War Lake First Nation and Ilford Metis Settlement with a population of 130 people. Access to Ilford and War Lake is by Hyrail or winter road.

RCMP Detachment:
The detachment consists of one sergeant and five constables, along with one municipal administrative clerk. The detachment is located behind the Town of Gillam Municipal Office. The detachment has three trucks, a Hyrail truck, two snow machines, two quads and a boat.

Community-based problem solving:

Often, there are groups already in place to deal with ongoing concerns or community projects. The following details what community challenges are being addressed by the members of the RCMP in partnership with their community. The major working groups include:

Community Consultative Group: Gillam has a very active Community Consultative Group that has representation from the Town of Gillam, Manitoba Conservation, Gillam School, Awasis, the local hotel and restaurant, Community & Youth Corrections, and Manitoba Hydro. These individuals meet and advise police on issues they perceive as important here in the community and together the priorities are discussed and solutions are agreed upon. Since the group’s inception, members have noticed a significant increase in client satisfaction.

Restorative and alternative justice:

Nationwide, members of the RCMP are involved in alternative justice processes, whether volunteering as facilitators or sitting on steering committees. Each community may embrace a different form of restorative justice, be it community justice forums, circle sentencing, or mediation.

Adult and Youth Corrections: There is one full-time probation officer who travels here from Thompson on a monthly basis. Gillam RCMP works in partnership with Manitoba Probation to ensure that persons under probation are reminded of their responsibilities including conditions of probation to achieve accountability, restitution and rehabilitation.

Alternative and Restorative Justice: Gillam/Fox Lake Adult and Youth Justice Committee has been established as an initiative to address specific Criminal Code and Youth Criminal Justice Act cases as an alternative to the formal criminal justice system. The committee was created in partnership with Fox Lake, the Town of Gillam, Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO) and Manitoba Probation Services. There has been a great deal of success by the committee to address these specific cases and allows for ownership and inclusion to problem-solve, rather than invoking the courts to address the matter.

Crime prevention:

Members of the RCMP are involved with a number of programs designed to prevent crime in our communities through both indirect and direct intervention. From school talks to youth initiatives and community safety plans, the goal of crime prevention programs is to target the roots of potential criminal and social problems. Members of the RCMP are involved in the following initiatives:

Citizens on Patrol Program (COPP): The Citizens on Patrol Program has been established in the community of Gillam to assist RCMP in detecting and deterring vandalism.

School Liaison: One member is assigned to each of the three schools in the detachment area. The Gillam School Liaison officer is present in the school on a weekly basis to meet with the faculty, the principal and the students in an informal setting as a role model to participate in sports, classroom visits and also during sanctioned events. The Gillam SLO is focusing on positive relationships and reduction of bullying behaviour and to this end external partnerships have been created to improve the social climate within the school. The members assigned to the Julie Lindal (War Lake) and Fox Lake school participate informally with school visits and during the annual bike rodeos.

Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) Program: DARE is a collaborative program in which local law enforcement and local schools join together to educate students about the personal and social consequences of substance abuse. The DARE interactive lessons include a strong message of abstinence as well as lessons on learning assertiveness, managing stress, reducing violence, combating media influences, making decisions about risky behaviors, having positive role models, and building self-esteem. The detachment has one trained DARE officer who is actively involved in implementing and teaching this curriculum to the Grade Six class at the Gillam School.

Child Ident Program: Members of Gillam Detachment in conjunction with Child Find Manitoba photograph and fingerprint children and present the parents with the photo and fingerprint on a laminated card.

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Police-community relations:

Without a solid base upon which to work, the police cannot hope to build the necessary partnerships with the community to prevent crime and to solve community problems. Members of the RCMP strive to build those bridges by appreciating the needs of the communities in which they work and live. Their commitment to the community goes beyond simple participation as residents, but also as active members of the community. Members of the RCMP are involved in the following initiatives:

• Red Serge Duty & Parades
• Office Tours
• Sports, coaching, Hockey Day in Gillam, summer rink hockey
• Work Experience
• Monthly Newsletter

Quality service through strategic partnerships:

The community also benefits directly and indirectly from strategic partnerships that the RCMP forms with other law enforcement and governmental agencies as well as with as with other community groups. Several unique associations have been formed:

• Gillam Mayor and Council
• Fox Lake Chief and Council
• War Lake Chief and Council
• Gillam School/Frontier School Division
• AWASIS (CFS)
• Partners in Law Enforcement (Conservation)
• Manitoba Hydro
• Gillam Fire/Ambulance Service
• Co-op Board
• Chamber of Commerce