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JusticeSafety6TuesdayOctober82013ByMEAGANWOHLBERGAtragicmurder-suicidethatshookthecommunityofTuk-toyaktukinDecember2011couldhavebeenpreventedwithbettersystemsinplacetorespondtofamilyviolenceaccordingtoNWTsChiefCoronerCathyMenard.Menardreleasedherof-cialreportonthedeathsofDiamondKeithKlengen-berg38andhis33year-oldcommon-lawpartnerJennyLeePingowhowerefounddeadintheircabinonDec.19.TheautopsydeterminedPingohadbeenshotdeadthroughthebackbyKlen-genbergbeforehetookhisownlifewiththesamerie.ApuppybelongingtoPingohadalsobeenkilledandwasfoundinagarbagecan.Anotherdogwasleftabandonedoutsideforatleasttwodayswhichgottheattentionofneighboursthatsomethingwaswrong.Multiplestatementsfromfamilyandfriendsgiventhroughtheinvestigationre-vealedPingohadbeenthevictimofabuseatthehandofKlengenbergonanongoingbasisforanumberofyears.ThoughPingohadlefthimthesummerof2011shere-turnedtoTukinNovemberofthatyearwhentheviolenceresumed.Familyandfriendssaidshehadbeenplanningtoleaveagainbeforeshewaskilled.AlongwiththereportMenardmadeseveralrec-ommendationstotheNWTdepartmentofHealthandSo-cialServicesHSSandtheRCMPtostopsimilareventswhichshecalledlargelypre-ventablefromhappeningtoothersinthefuture.Domesticviolencedeathsalmostneveroccurwithoutwarningshewrote.Inmostcasestherehavebeenrepeatedincidentsofviolenceandindicatorsofriskaswellasopportunitiesforagenciesandindividualstointervenebeforedeath.Klengenberghadanumberofconvictionsdatingbackto1999allwithinTuktoyaktukrangingfromassaultassaultwithaweaponandutteringthreats.SeveralwererelatedtoassaultonPingo.Whenviewedasanes-calationofpredictablepat-ternsofbehaviourdeathresultingfromdomesticandfamilyviolencecanbeseenaslargelyprevent-ableMenardconcludednotingthatPingowasincontactwiththeCommu-nityHealthCentre.SherecommendedHSSconsiderestablishingauni-versalscreeningtoolforfamilyviolenceforpatientsenteringallNWThealthcen-tresandemergencyroomswhichwouldprovideanop-portunityforvictimstolinkwithsupportservices.Shealsorecommendedmoresupportforcoordinatedcommunityresponsestofam-ilyviolencenotingthatvic-timsperpetratorsandtheirchildrenrequireacontinuumofcareandthatalllevelsofgovernmentandcommunityhavearoletoplayinkeepingcommunitymemberssafe.Menardfurthersuggestedgovernmentsupportforalong-termsustainedso-cialmarketingcampaigndirectedatchangingatti-tudestowardviolenceandultimatelybehaviour.HSSmediaspokespersonDamienHealysaidthede-partmentreceivedtherec-ommendationslastTuesdayandwasstillworkingonaresponsewhichwouldbeannouncedthisweek.HerrecommendationstotheRCMPincludedcon-ductingOntarioDomesticAssaultRiskAssessmentsODARAasatooltoin-creasevictimsafetyeitherbyreferringvictimstoser-viceshelpingcreateasafetyplanandorfacilitatingemer-gencyprotection.ThemoreavictimcomestotheattentionofpolicethemorelikelytheirlevelofriskisincreasingMenardadded.Cpl.GregTowlerwhosepositionisdedicatedtoad-dressingtheissueoffamilyviolencesaidtheGDivi-sionRCMPhasalreadyad-optedODARAandisutilizingittoevaluatethelevelofrisktovictimsoffamilyviolence.Thetrainingiscontinu-ingasnewmemberstransferintotheNorthwestTerritoriestoensurethatallfront-linemembersandsupervisorsaretrainedheadded.TowlerwhomovedintothepositiononApr.1ofthisyearsaidhismandateistoensureconsistenthigh-qual-ityfamilyviolenceinvestiga-tionsacrosstheNWT.AsignicantpartofmypositioninvolvesreviewingfamilyviolencerelatedlesfromacrossGDivisionandensuretheyareconsistentwithourpolicyandtoiden-tifyvictimsatriskhesaid.ByJOSHLONGMorethan200concernedcitizenscametovoicetheirconcernstopublicofcialsatNorthernUnitedPlacelastThursdayeveningfollow-ingseveralsexualassaultsinYellowknife.IamheretonightbecauseamonthagoIwassexuallymolestedalongtheFrameLakeTrailsaidDeannaLeonardaddressingapanelincludingNWTJusticeMinisterGlenAbernethyRCMPChiefSuperintendentWadeBlakeandYellowknifeMayorMarkHeyck.Thepolicehavebeenincredibleinhelpingmewithitshesaid.WhatIreallywantedthoughwastobringittolightanden-courageothersanddosome-thingaboutitasacommu-nitybecauseitsnotreallyuptotheRCMPtosolvetheproblem.Manywhosteppedtothemicrophonesuggestedsolu-tionsrangingfromaddic-tionstreatmenttoaddress-inghomelessness.Wecanenforceenforceenforcebutthatsnotthean-swer.WehavetogetbacktotherootcauseandndoutwhythisishappeninganddealwithitpanelistYellow-knifedetachmentcommanderInspectorFrankGallaghersaidinaninterviewwithNorthernJournal.Thishasbeengoingonforyears.Itsacycle.Wearrestintheeveningsorthenights.Weputpeopleinthejail.Wereleasetheminthemorning.LocalartistFrancoisThibaultsuggestedmovingthe49thSt.liquorstoreout-sidethedowntowncore.Itsformorethanjustcon-trollingthedowntownitstoactuallygivepeopletheRCMPachancetobetterpoliceourtownThibaultsaid.Itllactuallygivealotofpeopletimetothinkwhentheygetpissedoff.SomefeltotherswerequicktosuspectYellowknifeshomelesspopulation.Theresalotofassump-tionsbeingmadethatthesesexualassaultsareprimarilythefaultofthosepeoplethatareinthedowntowncorethehomelesspeopleorthepeoplewiththeaddiction.WeallknowtherearesexualpredatorsouttherethatcomefromeverywalkoflifesaidJenniferHunt-Poitrasco-directorfortheTruthandReconciliationCommission.IfyoulookinthiscrowdandyouseethattherearentCommunityspeaksoutonviolenceinYellowknifemanyAboriginalpeoplehereitsbecauseitfeelsliketheyrebeingtargetedandblamedforwhatsgoingonandthatsnotokay.Heyckoatedthepossibil-ityofhavingthecitycontractmoreRCMPofcersduringopeningstatements.Ifthecommunitydeemsahigherpolicepresenceinacer-tainpartofthecityapriorityandcouncilcarriesthatpriorityforwardthenthatscertainlyanoptionforthecitytoconsider.ThemayoraddedthatthecityisalreadytakingactionbyclearingbrushtoimprovevisibilityalongtheFrameLakeTrailandisintalkstohavetheareabetterlit.Communitypatrolsarealsoanoptionandheen-couragedresidentstoattendYellowknifePolicingAdvi-soryCommitteemeetings.NWTcoronercallstragicmurder-suicidepreventableJusticeHomicideWESCLEANNORTHERNSALESLTD.Fluffyisaveryfriendlycreature.Shemakesforgreatcompanyinwonderfultopet.Pleaseleaveamessageat872-5543fordetails.HundredsgatherforadiscussiononcommunitysafetyinYellowknifelastThursdayfollowingastringofsexualassaultsinthecommunity.PhotoJackDanylchuk