Grand Rapids Detachment

Contact Information:
Box 360
Grand Rapids, MB
R0C 1E0
Ph:(204) 639-2469
Fax: (204) 639-2548

Location:
We provide policing services to the Town of Grand Rapids and Grand Rapids First Nation, as well as the surrounding 19,000 square-kilometre area that makes up the detachment boundaries. Grand Rapids is a unique, isolated northern community situated on the northern shore of Lake Winnipeg across from Cedar Lake. It is accessible by road from Thompson and Winnipeg.

Local Population:
Approximately 800 to 1,200 people, depending on the time of year, and consists almost equally of First Nation (Cree and Saulteax) and non-aboriginal people.

RCMP Detachment:
The Grand Rapids detachment consists of one corporal, three constables, one First Nation Band Constable, one auxiliary member, and one public service administrative clerk.

Community-based problem solving:

Often, groups are 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:

Grand Rapids First Nation Drug Strategy Committee: Members of the detachment are involved with the Drug Strategy Committee of Grand Rapids First Nation. The partners consist of community representation from the education authority, Cree Nation Child and Family Services, Probation Services, Grand Rapids Elder's Panel and police. The committee meets on an ongoing basis to assess and review what progress has been made. The committee received an honourable mention at the Manitoba Attorney General’s Crime Prevention Awards.

Native Alcohol Drug Abuse Program (NADAP): Members of the detachment, in partnership with the courts, meet regularly with the local justice committee and the local NADAP worker. This group is attempting to provide the necessary drug/alcohol treatment to those who need it. Meetings are ongoing, responses are reviewed, and each case is assessed on an individual basis.

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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.

Community Justice Forums (CJF): The detachment, in partnership with community elders, has made alternative forms of justice available to all members of the community. Members of our detachment serve on the committee and play an important role in implementing alternative justice, providing information to the committee as needed. At times, the courts choose to have cases heard by the justice committee when it is believed the accused and the victim may benefit from alternative resolutions. A wide variety of cases are brought before the justice committee each year.

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:

Community Health and Wellness Gathering: Grand Rapids First Nation holds an annual Community Health and Wellness Gathering, along with an Elders and Youth Conference. Detachment members attend workshops sponsored by community groups, government, and social agencies, and give presentations on a wide range of topics related to law enforcement. Past presentations have included an introduction of the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program.

Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE): DARE is a collaborative effort in which local law enforcement and local schools join together to educate students about the personal and social consequences of substance abuse. DARE lessons not only include a strong message encouraging abstinence, but also involve lessons on assertiveness, managing stress, reducing violence, combating media influences, making decisions about risky behaviours, having positive role models, and building self-esteem. The DARE program has been well received by the school and by the community.

Kidz Printz: This program provides parents with an identification kit to store photographs, fingerprints, DNA, and general information concerning their child, to be used if the child goes missing. Detachment members conducted this program over a period of several days, assisting parents with the completion of the kit.

Auxiliary Constable Program: The detachment currently has one auxiliary constable. An auxiliary constable riding with a regular member allows for increased police visibility and enhances relationships with community members. This constable provides great assistance to the members with his/her knowledge of the community and the people.

Multi Agency Checkpoint: Once a year, a checkpoint is set up at Grand Rapids to educate the public and to ensure drivers are conforming to the rules and regulations set out in various traffic acts. The checkpoint involves members of the RCMP from Grand Rapids, The Pas and Thompson, the Provincial Compliance, Taxation, and Department of Natural Resources.

Other Crime Prevention Programs include:

• School Liaison
• Off Road Vehicle Education
• Ground Search and Rescue Course

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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:

• Summer Youth Employment Program
• Community Newsletter
• Community Events
• Red Serge Duty & Parades
• School Liaison
• Detachment Open House
• Detachment Tours

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:

• Town of Grand Rapids
• Grand Rapids Cross-Cultural Committee
• Chief and Council, Grand Rapids First Nation
• Community Council, Town of Grand Rapids
• Cree Nation Child and Family Services (CNCFS)
• Government and Social Agencies