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HayRiverbeachwillseesafetyconcernsaddressedHealthWellnessPublicSafety15TuesdayJanuary282014ByMARIACHURCHGNWTofcialsaretakingstepstogivetheHayRiverTer-ritorialBeachasafetymake-overincludingnewsignageandemergencyequipmentbythisyearsparkseason.TheannouncementcomesafteranauditbytheLifesav-ingSocietyofAlbertaandtheNorthwestTerritorieshighlight-ingmultiplesafetyconcernswiththeHayRiverbeachwasgiventothedepartmentofIn-dustryTourismandInvestmentITItwoweeksago.TheLifesavingSocietywasinHayRiveronJuly26lastyeartoperformtheauditwhichincludedawalk-overoftheparkinglotbeachfrontandcampgroundaswellaswatersampling.Intotaltheauditmakes28recommendationsincludingtakingregularbacteriologicalsamplesofthewaterhavingpropersafetyequipmentsuchasbuoyantthrowingaidesandreachingpolesavailableandpostingsignsthatidentifypo-tentialhazards.Thecosttoimplementallrecommendationsrangesbetween50000and75000accordingtoGNWTestimates.ByMARIACHURCHThenewtopcopinFortSmithsaysheslookingtomakechangesinthedetachmentthatwillseecrimepreventionandre-ductionmadeapriorityoverincarceration.RichardBrownthenewsergeantattheFortSmithRCMPdetachmenttoldTownCouncillastweekthathehasseveralprojectsonthegoincludingreachingouttothetownssocialservicesandprobationservicestoaddresstherootproblems.Wecanchasedrugsorwecanchaseimpaireddrivingbutwhatweneedtodoisidentifyoffendersandtargetthatgrouphetoldthecoun-cillorslastTuesday.WhenIseeahundredprisonersfromtheyearbe-foreitmakesmequestionthat.Didasheltermaybeclosehesaidasanexample.WhataretheotherthingswecandobesidesjailIwanttoseeifwecangetpeopleintorehab.BrownmovedtoFortSmithlatelastyearwithhiswifeandchildrenfromPhotocourtesyofLifesavingSocietyKellyKayloassistantdeputyministerwithITIsaidthegovernmentplanstohaveallsafetyrecommenda-tionsinplacebyMaywhentheterritorialparkopenstothepublic.TheauditontheHayRiverbeachfollowsasimilarauditdonebytheLifesavingSocietyontheFredHenneTerritorialParkbeachmadepubliclatelastyearafteraboydrownedinYellowknife.Thetwobeacheswerechosenbecausetheyarepartofterritorialparkslocatedwhollywithinamunicipal-ityKaylotoldTheJournal.Nootherbeachesaresched-uledforanaudit.WhilethereweremanyoverlappingsafetyissuesfoundatthetwobeachesKellyCarterwiththeLife-savingSocietynotedthatHayRiverwasuniquebecauseofanunsafelogbuildupfromfallentreesinthearea.Weverecommendedthatthegovernmentlooksatreview-ingitsmethodsofstoringandcleaningthebeachandtriestominimizethosehazardspres-entCartersaid.TheGNWTclearsthelogsyearlyhowevertheauditwasdoneafewdaysbeforethelogswerescheduledforremovalKayloexplained.LifeguardsnotaguaranteeBoththeHayRiverandFredHenneauditsmakenorecommendationsforlife-guardsCartersaidthoughITIhasrequestedtheLife-savingSocietyperformalifeguardfeasibilitystudy.Thebiggestthingwithlife-guardsisoftenitgivesthepub-licthissenseofprotectionthatmightnotbethereCartersaidaddingthattherearemultipleothersafetymeasuresthatneedtobetakenbeforelifeguardsshouldbeconsidered.LastyearagroupcallingthemselvesLifeguardsforLo-duneinmemoryof7year-oldLoduneShelleywhodrownedattheFredHennebeachinJunestartedapublicaware-nesscampaigncallingontheterritorialgovernmenttorein-statelifeguardsatthebeach.Thegroupofvolunteerspa-trolledthebeachlastsummerasrstresponderspledgingtocontinuethesupervisionuntiltheGNWTtakesaction.PublicinputsoughtonsafetyThegovernmentisaskingthepublictosharetheirthoughtsonsafetyconcernsattheFredHenneandHayRiverbeaches.ITIrecentlylaunchedanonlinesurveyforresidentstogiveinputontheFredHenneTerritorialParkbeachandasimilarsurveyisintheworksforHayRiver.Oncetheresultsofthelife-guardfeasibilitystudyarere-leasedapublicmeetingwillbeheldinYellowknifebyITIofcials.Thoseresultsareex-pectedinthenextfewmonths.ThesurveyontheFredHenneBeachcanbefoundontheITIwebsiteatwww.iti.gov.nt.caNewFortSmithsergeantpledgescrimepreventionAtlinBC.Imreallyhappytobeheretheser-geantsaidafterintroducinghimselftothecouncillorsexplainingthathecompetedwithintheRCMPtogettheFortSmithplacement.IminapositionwhereIwanttoputmybestfootforwardandletyouknowthatwetheRCMPareaccountableforouractionshetoldcouncil.BrownsaidtheRCMPde-tachmentsufferedlastyearfromunderstafngafterveoftheeightofficersweretransferredout.Thisyeartheyareonceagainoperat-ingwithfullstaff.ItsaverygoodyearinRCMPtermshetoldcouncil.Anotherareathenewser-geantsaidhewillbelook-ingintoisreorganizingthecrimestatistics.Thecur-rentmethodofcompil-ingstatisticsisconfusingandcanskewtheRCMPsunderstandingofwherecrimesarebeingcommit-tedBrownsaid.Forex-ampleacronymsfortheSaltRiverFirstNationandSmithsLandingFirstNa-tionaresometimeswronglyinterchanged.ProperlyrecordingstatisticsofwhereandwhencrimesarecommittedcanhelptheRCMPtailortheirpolicingtothecrimehesaid.Alongthelinesofpreven-tionBrownsaidhewouldliketoseeprogramssuchasD.A.R.E.DrugAbuseRe-sistanceEducationenterthecommunitysschools.ACanada-wideprogramD.A.R.E.istaughtbypoliceofcerstochildreninGrade5asaninteractivewaytolearnaboutdrugsandviolence.In201011theprogramreached49510studentsin1071schoolsacrossthecountry.FortSmithMayorBradBrakeagreedthatD.A.R.E.shouldbebroughtintothecommunityandtoldcoun-cilheistakingstepsto-wardthat.JusticeCrimePreventionTheHayRiverTerritorialBeachwillseenewsignageamongothersafetyimprovementsbythisyearsswimmingseasonaccordingtotheGNWT.RichardBrownisFortSmithsnewdetachmentsergeant.PhotoMariaChurch