N.W.T. RCMP cold case unit fully staffed, after over a year of waiting

A two-person RCMP unit dedicated to investigating cold case files in the Northwest Territories is now fully staffed.

"That unit is now fully staffed in Yellowknife and is working its way through the various files that we have out there that are historical," Chief Supt. Jamie Zettlerof the RCMP's GDivision told a group of leaders at the Dehcho Assembly in Fort Simpson, N.W.T., on Thursday.

Last spring, the territorial Department of Justice announced it had allocated $304,000 to create the unit. However, last month, RCMP told CBC News it had not been able to find qualified staff.

As of 2018, there were 71 unsolvedhistorical missing and murdered persons cases in the territory and 63 were considered open.

]"It is going to take time to get through some of these investigations. They are lengthy," Zettler said.

"There's techniques that weren't available 10,15, 20 years ago, that we can now pull some of the evidence that we have and see if it fits into the criteria of these new techniques, DNA requirements and whatnot."

RCMP divisions in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Yukon and N.W.T., have historical homicide units.

Zettler also responded on Thursday to the final report of theNational Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

He said G Division is already implementing some of the report's calls to action, butacknowledged there's still work to be done.

"Are we there? Are we done working on those areas? No," he said. "Will we ever be done working on those areas? I don't think so."

Zettler said he hopes to rebuild relationships with Indigenous leaders moving forward.