Norway House Detachment

Contact Information:
Box 40
Norway House, MB
R0B 1B0
Ph: (204) 359-6483
Fax: (204) 359-4732

Location:
The Norway House detachment is located at the top of Lake Winnipeg. It is a large detachment covering approximately 13,000 square miles.

Local Population:
Approximately 7,000 people.

RCMP Detachment:
The detachment consists of one staff sergeant, two corporals,thirteen constables, and three Public Service Employees. The detachment maintains a fleet of four trucks, two cars, two snow machines, three boats and two ATVs.

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:

Norway House Community Council: Norway House Community Council meets regularly with members to discuss relevant issues and share information. Issues are raised by both the mayor and council as well as detachment members. Solutions are developed with input from all affected clients.

Minisowin Agency: This agency provides support for the children of this community. We have an active partnership and a working protocol when cases of child abuse are reported. Our protocol was developed in consultation with Minisowin Agency, Provincial Crowns and Major Crime Investigators. The resulting policy has been very effective in reaching successful conclusion to what are often very difficult cases. Minisowin Agency and members arrive at an agreeable arrangement in the best interest of the families and children involved.

Norway House Cree Nation: Norway House Cree Nation band council has regular meetings with members of this detachment to discuss community problems and possible solutions. The chief and council concern themselves primarily with the more political issues and have formed committees to deal with particular problems.

Detachment members are consulted and participate in the following committees:

• Drug Strategy Committee is involved in addressing the substance abuse issues and is designed to seek solutions to bootlegging and trafficking of illegal substances, alcohol and various other abuse intoxicants.
• Fetal Alcohol Spectrun Disorder Committee meets once a month to develop action plans related to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and is broken down into specific subcommittees such as justice, education and continuing care.
• Violence Prevention Committee is designed to address issues of violence within the community of Norway House and Norway House Cree Nation. The primary duty is to develop and communicate with police on various ways of dealing with violence within the community.

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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 Committee: The Community Justice Committee gives the community an active voice in the justice of its offenders and offers solutions to the community that confront problems in an alternative manner, prior to seeking a court solution.

Community Justice Coordinator: Acts as a direct link between the detachment and the Community Justice Committee. We have high expectations for this process and support it enthusiastically. We refer appropriate cases directly through this justice forum. Offences ranging from thefts, break and enters, frauds and other property-related matters are resolved in many instances without the laying of criminal charges.

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:

School Liaisons: All the members of this detachment work closely with each of the two schools in Norway House. Given the large size of one of the schools, there are three dedicated school liaison officers, with one at the smaller school in Norway House.

Drug Awareness Resistance Education (DARE): Our detachment has a trained DARE coordinator. There is an identified problem with drug use in the community and it is hoped that the delivery of this program will help educate our young people about the negative effects of alcohol and drug abuse.

Band Constable Program: The Norway House Cree Nation Band Constable Program is a vital link between the RCMP and the Norway House residents. Norway House Detachment actively works with the Norway House Cree Nation Police to increase their level of training and performance. We have set up local training sessions, using our own members as trainers, and have been instrumental in bringing in trainers from the RCMP Academy in Regina for specific training needs.

Other Crime Prevention Programs include:

• Bike Rodeos
• RCMP youth academy
• Media campaigns

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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:

• Annual Fish Fry
• Career Days
• Detachment Tours
• Health Fair
• Pow-Wow Committee
• Red Serge Duty
• York Boat Days
• Coaching

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:

• Partners in Law Enforcement Provincial Resources
• Partners in Law Enforcement Norway House Cree Nation Police
• Minisowin Agency
• Norway House Hospital
• Norway House Cree Nation
• Norway House Community Council
• Norway House Crisis Workers (formerly NADAP)
• Norway House Clergy
• Norway House Firefighters
• Norway House First Responders
• Frontier School Division