RCMP workload in Yukon 'not sustainable', says superintendent

The YukonRCMP'ssuperintendentsays he's thankful for outside help, but says the current situation is "notsustainable" when it comes to the territory's policing.

The force is dealing with several homicide investigations, and has called for support from other jurisdictions.

• Yukon's unusually violent year: 8 homicides in 12 months

• B.C. man charged with 1st-degree murder in recent Whitehorse homicide

Brian Jones, the officer in charge of criminal operations in Yukon, says about ten officers flew infrom Alberta last weekend. They provided help sweeping for evidence and conducting interviews.

Now they've gone home.

Jones says the help was appreciated especially because rapid response is important in homicide investigations.

"Those investigators that have come up from Alberta and other places they're busy with their full-time jobs as well," he says.

This is not the first time the territory's police force has called for outside help. And Jones thinks it suggests a larger problem with workload.

Yukon's seven-person Major Crimes Unit has been involved in eight homicide investigations since last summer.

"Long term, that typeof energy and effort isn't sustainable for our people," Jones said.

Yukon's total RCMP force across different detachmentshas about 135 people.

Less focus on historic cases

Jones says staff have been reassigned within the territorial force to work on newhomicide cases. Staff from B.C. have also provided some help from afar.

However, Jones says a staffing crunch means other work is getting less attention.

That workincludes historic cases, such as thosementioned in recent hearingsfor the National Inquiry intoMissing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

"As each new homicide comes in, that's the priority. They're all important, but they all can't be the priority on any given day. The historical cases we're working on, they suffer," he said.

Of the eight homicide investigations started in the last year, four have lead to criminal charges. Nobody has yetbeen tried or convicted in court.