‘Crime is out of control; public safety is in crisis,’ says MLA Kieron Testart

Persistent efforts to address the root causes of crime over years have not arrested the daily threat to public safety — and immediate action is required, say two members of the Legislative Assembly.

“Crime is out of control, public safety is in crisis, and we’re seeing that across the territory — not just in Yellowknife — but in every community, small and large,” said Range Lake MLA Kieron Testart in an interview. “We need to show people we are what we’re doing as an Assembly, and we need to take their advice and take action on the unacceptable rates of crime and violence on the streets of our capital. We need to we need to do more.”

Testart and Yellowknife Centre MLA Robert Hawkins are holding a town hall public meeting on crime prevention and public safety on Wednesday, February 11th, at the Northern United Place auditorium.

Testart said root causes of crime will always exist to some extent, and that there “are always bigger picture issues,” but that can’t stop measures to tackle the increasingly dangerous criminals involved in the illegal drug trade.

“Addictions are a big problem, but the drug dealer who’s using a handgun to threaten people or kill people isn’t going to stop because we have addiction treatment programs,” stated Testart.

“We need police we need police resources, and we need to get to the legislative tools. We need to stop these gangsters and murderers before they do any more damage to communities in the Northwest Territories.”

Crime rates in the Northwest Territories remain many times higher than the national average and have recently taken on a more violent character.

An increasing number of handguns have entered the territory in recent years, while public health warnings continue to highlight an illicit drug supply containing new, more dangerous mixtures of lethal substances.

For example, in Hay River the RCMP continues to seize cocaine, fentanyl, guns and trafficking suspects, with eight people charged so far in January.

Cabin Radio recently reported that the number of police “occurrences” in Hay River — any type of police-related event or activity ­­ — went up from 3,484 in 2024 to 4,428 last year, for an increase of nearly 1,000.

Hay River RCMP say they are working closely with the community to encourage the reporting of suspected criminal activity, including through Crimestoppers.

Sgt. Phil Unger told Cabin there is a “growing frustration within the community towards the illegal drug trade.”

This comes as the Government of the Northwest Territories prepares to unveil new legislative measures during the February session in an attempt to address crime, while our territory continues to grapple with drug trafficking, violent assaults, break-ins, and theft.

But the MLAs believe more can be done now – and needs to be done as the city and region continue to market itself as a tourist destination.

The MLAs hope for a strong and constructive conversation at the town hall and encourage members of the public, from residents and business owners to community and political leaders, to attend and send a clear message to the government on the need for decisive action, guided by public input.

Testart was speaking to CKLB over the phone from Hay River, where the Assembly’s Social Development Committee was holding a public meeting in Hay River on Bill 34: Trespass to Property Act.

The stated purpose of the Bill is to enhance public safety and private property protections, states the GNWT, by addressing “significant gaps in trespassing law.”

“I was just talking with a member of the Hay River community who hasn’t been to Yellowknife in some time, just came for a visit and said, ‘I’ve never seen it this bad. I was too afraid to walk from the Explorer hotel to Boston Pizza.’ She feared for her safety. So that’s the state of Yellowknife right now, even other Northerners see it.

Violent crime in the Northwest Territories has skyrocketed 75% during the past decade — eclipsing the national increase of 60% in the same period, Statistics Canada figures show.

The NWT’s Mounties have been afforded increased resources for a crime reduction unit, emergency response teams and new equipment.

The GNWT is developing new public safety legislation to combat crime, focusing on Civil Forfeiture, Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods (SCAN), and that aforementioned Trespass Act. But it will time for any or all of those measures to become a reality.

In the interim, criminality of all forms is increasingly being blamed for downtown Yellowknife’s ability to be an attractive and safe place to live, work and visit, despite having so much potential.

Frustrated Yellowknife business owners launched a ‘safety initiative’ which released a report this summer.

The City of Yellowknife joined with the Chamber of Commerce for a 17-page What We Heard report that repeated the same untended rips in the social safety net and unresolved enforcement issues heard time after time over many years.

Several businesses expressed worries about public safety for staff, customers, and the general public.

MLA Hawkins stated: “Businesses should not have to deal with harassment during the day or worry about break-ins at night. Revitalizing downtown starts with people feeling safe to shop, work, or pass through.

“At the same time, non-profit organizations are struggling to provide critical services when dangerous activity threatens their residents and staff.”

However, there does not appear to be unified front on crimefighting measures in the ranks of Yellowknife City Council.

In early December, two city councillors criticized NWT RCMP’s new $580,000 bulletproof tactical armoured vehicle, mostly as it looks aggressive.

Coun. Tom McLennan said the RCMP, “shouldn’t be buying Mad Max vehicles.”

Coun. Cat McGurk said she finds it, “quite a shame, that so much of our federal dollars went towards that.”

The pair also questioned the need for the city to add two Municipal Enforcement Division officers, with McLennan saying resources, “would better affect the underlying root causes in other areas than in MED positions.”

Asked about this, Testart said: “Well, I’m not going to comment on city council, but what I will say is people who want to talk about root causes are missing the point. We are as a government, have been squarely targeting our resources at root causes, whether they be treatment programs, integrated services, housing programs, income support programs — there’s a lot of effort and resources that go into that, but there’s massive gaps when it comes to public safety.

“There’s no trespass legislation, there’s no civil forfeiture legislation. You know, SCAN hasn’t even been attempted because of legal concerns that other provinces have figured out.

“You can’t just have a one-sized approach to public safety and to criminality. Of course, it’s exacerbated by addictions, but you can’t just deal with the addictions. You also need to deal with public safety on the streets, especially when they’re this bad.”

The City of Yellowknife and the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce in the summer of 2025 released a What We Heard report, summarizing local business perspectives on downtown safety, public space conditions, and ways to boost economic activity in Yellowknife.

Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce president Mark Henry: “What we’re experiencing in Yellowknife is not normal; it’s unsettling, and it’s taking a real toll on our businesses, the residents and visitors that want to support our businesses, and our overall sense of community.

“Tackling this issue requires a shared commitment to restore social norms, ensure proper health and social supports are in place, and reinforce law enforcement. Everyone deserves to feel safe in public, and that means expecting respectful behaviour and ensuring authorities are equipped to uphold it with empathy.”

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