ORIGINAL RESEARCH

The power of community: An examination of the Selkirk First Nation community safety officer program

Jason G. Fenno^∗,†

This article is related directly to the Seventh International Conference on Law Enforcement & Public Health (LEPH) held in Ottawa, Canada in July 2025.

ABSTRACT

Selkirk First Nation (SFN), a Northern Tutchone First Nation located in Pelly Crossing, Yukon Territory, demonstrated the power of community within policing when SFN established one of the Yukon’s first community safety officer (CSO) programs. SFN leadership chose to establish a CSO program to better respond to the needs of SFN citizens and fill operational gaps of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). This article will provide a brief overview of policing in the Yukon, along with unique issues related to crime that factored into the creation of the SFN CSO program. Key takeaways will also be examined from the author’s PhD dissertation research project focused on the strengths, tensions, and challenges of the SFN CSO program. Findings of the project will also be examined, including the impacts of the SFN CSO program on SFN citizens’ perceptions of safety, the work of Pelly Crossing RCMP, along with larger topics such as reconciliation, self-determination, self-governance, and offering feedback for improving the work of the RCMP in northern Indigenous nations and communities in the northern territories. Lastly, this article will highlight key takeaways for other northern Indigenous nations and communities across the Far North seeking alternatives to an RCMP-centric policing model.

Key Words Selkirk First Nation, community safety officer programs, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Yukon Territory, self-determination.

INTRODUCTION

This article provides an examination of the elements that contributed to the community’s power in Selkirk First Nation (SFN) to create one of the first northern Indigenous-led and operated community safety officer (CSO) programs in the Yukon. The elements that led to the SFN CSO program being examined include growing concerns in SFN about crime in Pelly Crossing, the state of policing in Pelly Crossing, which relied on the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), and the RCMP’s colonial policing legacy in the Yukon. The formulation of the SFN CSO program will also be discussed. Key findings and takeaways, generated from emergent themes in my PhD dissertation research project, will also be examined in relation to the SFN CSO program. My PhD dissertation partnered with SFN to study the CSO program’s impacts, strengths, tensions, and challenges, including reconciliation, the CSO program as a potential model for northern Indigenous nations, and possible impacts on Pelly Crossing RCMP.

METHODS

PhD Project Overview

This research project utilized a qualitative case study with semi-structured Zoom interviews, guided by SFN traditions and Indigenous criminology, emphasizing Indigenous knowledge, colonial impacts, and self-determination. Recruitment began following a 2022 SFN Council presentation, aiming to conduct 10–12 interviews with community leaders, knowledge holders, CSOs, and RCMP officers, while considering COVID-19 restrictions. Interviews focused on SFN citizens’ experiences, conducted via e-mail for safety, with questions aligned to the SFN protocol. In June and August 2022, 17 community members and 2 RCMP officers were contacted, with follow-ups scheduled through 2023. Six interviews occurred, each about 30 minutes via Zoom, recorded and thematically analyzed, with informed consent. Indigenous principles and OCAP (Ownership, Control, Access, and Possession) guidelines ensured respectful handling of knowledge.

Each of the six interviews was transcribed verbatim from audio recordings. All six SFN community leaders and knowledge holders, including CSOs and Pelly Crossing RCMP officers, were assigned pseudonyms: Meg, Evelyn, Betty, Greg, Bob, and Theresa, to protect their identities. I also removed all identifiers and sought feedback. I then conducted thematic analysis on each of the 11 questions from the 12 semi-structured Zoom interviews, reviewing transcripts multiple times to identify and clarify themes. Minor themes were grouped for analysis to address the questions, final comparisons of knowledge and themes were made, and comparisons with historical documents were included for key questions. Once completed, all emerging themes were documented.

Community Safety Officers (CSOs) and Tiered Policing Programs

Understanding the SFN CSO program broadens knowledge of CSO programs across Canada and internationally, including Australia, England, Wales, the United States, Sweden, Belgium, and New Zealand. These community-focused programs aim to address local crime, disorder, and police interactions, often in partnership with local governments. A fundamental aspect of most CSO programs is that they are grounded in and aim to improve police or other community responses to crime, social disorder, or other pertinent local issues. Clancey et al. (2012) note that Australian CSOs in New South Wales are local government employees working in partnerships to enhance community safety. In Canada, programs vary by jurisdiction and involve varying levels of collaboration with police, local governments, social services, housing, First Nations, and schools. Currently, CSO programs are active in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario. They address concerns like crime, police relations, by-laws, and substance use. The Government of Saskatchewan (n.d.), via the Ministry of Justice, produced a document that addressed frequently asked questions about the CSO programs, describing CSOs as municipal or First Nation employees who support community safety and policing, aligning with the focus on community connection and safety outlined above. The CSO model fits into tiered policing, expanding roles of volunteers and staff aiding officers, as McKenna (2014) describes, “utilizing a greater variety of types of police personnel for performing various police functions and offering a range of police services. This requires the creation of ‘new’ categories of police personnel such as Police Community Support Officers and/or expanding the use of existing non-police personnel such as civilian members and private security. These new police personnel typically have limited legal powers, different recruiting and training requirements” (p. 5).

The Power of Community: Formation of the Selkirk First Nation CSO Program

In 2019, the Northern Tutchone First Nation of SFN demonstrated the power of community when SFN leaders came together to establish one of the first northern Indigenous-led and operated CSO programs in the Yukon. This offered an alternative to the RCMP-only policing model that serves most of Canada’s northern territories. For SFN, establishing the CSO program was a key step in asserting self-determination in community safety, as SFN is one of 11 self-governing First Nations in the Yukon under the 1993 Yukon Umbrella Agreement. Today, SFN is self-governed by a chief and council based on the SFN Constitution. Before 2019, SFN faced challenges with policing by the RCMP in Pelly Crossing, stemming from a strained colonial history, limited posting durations, and rising concerns about violence, alcohol bootlegging, and drug use in Pelly Crossing, the SFN region’s population hub.

The population of SFN in 2024 was approximately 671, with 40% in Pelly Crossing and 60% elsewhere in the Yukon and Canada (SFN, 2024, para. 2). The North Klondike Highway passes through Pelly Crossing over the Pelly River Bridge. The Pelly River is central to SFN’s traditions. Pelly Crossing, 2 hours south of Dawson City and north of Whitehorse, is a small community with the Selkirk Centre (Yets` Kät Ku), a grocery, gas station, post office, ATM, RCMP post, motel, campgrounds for recreational vehicles, Eliza Van Bibber School (K–12), Yukon University satellite, Hets′edän Kú′ (Learning House), baseball field, swimming pool, curling/hockey rink, SFN offices, community hall, health centre, and Big Jonathan Heritage Centre.

Issues that Lead to the Creation of the SFN CSO Program: Crime and Policing

Growing crime concerns

SFN citizen concerns had been on the rise relating to the state of illegal drug trafficking, bootlegging of alcohol into Pelly Crossing, substance use, and violence. Lang (2023) described the state of substance use in “Pelly Crossing, like Fort Chipewyan and a number of neighbouring Yukon communities, is in the midst of its own substance-use crisis” (para. 12). The issue of drug trafficking into Pelly Crossing from outsiders coming from Dawson City or Whitehorse had expanded of late as detailed by former SFN Chief Darin Isaac who stated that the types of drugs being trafficked into Pelly Crossing is “primarily opioids and crack cocaine” (para. 13). Former SFN Chief Isaac would also add that “[t]he availability of these illegal drugs in our community has led to a significant number of our Citizens abusing illegal drugs,” [and that] “created a crisis in our community” (Connors, 2023, para. 13).

In addition to an increase in drug trafficking into Pelly Crossing, there had also been significant concerns from SFN citizens related to the bootlegging of alcohol, as SFN had formally partnered with the territory’s Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods (SCAN) unit in 2019, primarily due to issues related to bootlegging. Kurt Bringsli, a SCAN unit investigator, described the impacts that bootlegging can have on a rural First Nation community, such as SFN as it “exploits vulnerable members of the community, including elders, underage residents and people with addictions, [and] women and girls are particularly at risk to exchange sexual favours for liquor” (Hong, 2020). It should be noted that Pelly Crossing is “not a dry community, [but it] does not have any licensed liquor establishments” (Hong, 2020, para. 6).

A 2015 Yukon Bureau of Statistics report, titled “Police-reported Crime Statistics in Yukon,” highlighted a high rate of violent criminal code violations in Pelly Crossing. The report detailed how, dating back to 2012, violence had become a significant issue in Pelly Crossing since there were 70 violent criminal code violations in 2012, 71 in 2014, and 46 in 2015 (Yukon Bureau of Statistics, 2015, p. 4). The following year, in 2016, “Raine Andrew Silas [would be murdered] in Pelly Crossing” (Blake, 2017, para. 20). Around a year later, on 13 December 2017, Derek Edwards, an SFN citizen would lose his life via a “violent crime [that] changed [the] community” (MacIntyre, 2019, para. 1).

State of policing in Pelly Crossing

As of 2020–2021, the RCMP had three regular members at Pelly Crossing: one via the Territorial Police Service Agreement and two through the First Nation Policing Program (RCMP, 2022). The post is a limited duration posting (LDP), meaning officers usually serve 3 or 4 years before moving on to other career opportunities (Ruddell & Jones, 2018, p. 2). While rewarding, LDP postings can make building relationships with officers challenging for communities. Staffing issues related to LDP were identified as key themes in project interviews about policing in SFN before the CSO program. Themes pertaining to the policing environment in SFN before the formation of the CSO program included detached, officer dependent, and unstable. Evelyn, when answering the second opening question, had highlighted the unstable state of the policing environment in Pelly Crossing by stating that “[s]o over the years it’s hit and miss sometimes you get really good people.” The full findings from the second opening question are presented in Table I.

TABLE I Policing environment for SFN before the CSO program

Theme	Impact of Theme
Unstable	A lack of trust at times of RCMP in Pelly Crossing Tenuous and cautious Hit and miss Very much dependent on individual officers
Officer dependent	Individual Pelly Crossing RCMP officers dictated policing approach for SFN Mixed history over the years of how policing has been administered Some officers have been quite engaged with SFN, while others have been lacking in their engagement with SFN
Detached	Certain Pelly Crossing RCMP officers are more proactive when engaging with SFN i.e., attending community events Patrolling of SFN has varied over the years Reactive policing style and not out in SFN working on preventive-type programs

Compounding the state of policing in SFN before the formation of the CSO program is the colonial legacy and continued impact of the RCMP’s previous actions in the Yukon, supporting colonial policies and programs, such as the Indian Residential School program.

RESULTS

Impact of the SFN CSO Program

The emergent themes generated from the knowledge offered during the six Zoom interviews, relating to the impact of the SFN CSO program on the state of community safety and policing in Pelly Crossing, highlighted several key positive effects on safety and the state of policing in Pelly Crossing. The positive impact of the SFN CSO program, which has altered the state of community safety and policing in SFN, will be examined through three charts displayed below from my PhD research project. Tables II–IV highlight the largest strengths of the SFN CSO program, impacts of the CSO program on SFN citizens’ perceptions of safety, and SFN citizens’ interactions and/or views of the RCMP.

TABLE II Largest strengths of the SFN CSO program

Theme	Impact of Theme
Elevated connections to community and knowledge	Improved knowledge of community Improved trust in CSOs Support for the work of the Pelly Crossing RCMP Improved understanding of the environment of SFN when responding to calls for service CSOs from SFN
Community confidence	Increased level of comfort reaching out to CSOs for help SFN citizens know the CSOs as community members CSOs increase stability and trust
Charting own path for safety	Alternatives to the stand-alone RCMP policing model possible for SFN Expansion of self-determination possible i.e., Ontario and Alberta Tribal Police

TABLE III SFN CSO programs’ impact on SFN citizens’ feelings of safety

Theme	Impact of Theme
Citizens trust CSOs	Increased calls to CSOs for suspicious or criminal behaviour CSOs handle citizen calls differently than RCMP CSOs are SFN citizens who patrol and know the community
Early elevated levels of safety	Early into the creation of the SFN CSO program, CSOs go out more on patrol Initially CSOs would go out and check on house parties Lots of momentum and leadership support early on
Minimal to no impact	Not enough time for CSOs to make an impact on SFN citizens sense of safety State of crime in SFN has impacted the CSOs’ ability to do their work Fear for the seriousness of criminal element in SFN

TABLE IV Impacts on SFN citizens’ interactions and/or views of RCMP

Theme	Impact of Theme
Yes – CSOs improved relationship with RCMP and SFN	CSOs working with the Pelly Crossing RCMP At times, CSOs built bridges with the Pelly Crossing RCMP as “trust holders” CSOs have supported responses to bootlegging in SFN
No – Impact less than what was expected, concerns with response times, and work with RCMP	Direct communication between CSOs and the Pelly Crossing RCMP an issue Presence of CSOs in SFN and response to calls or messages not consistent Unsure of the impact of CSOs on SFN citizens’ interactions and/or views of RCMP

As demonstrated in Tables II–IV in this article, the SFN CSO program has a positive impact, increasing SFN citizens’ confidence in reaching out to CSOs in times of need.

Greg would state in his answer why SFN citizens have had an increased level of confidence in CSOs by saying, “trust from the community as well. They know who [the CSOs] are and [the CSO] families as well.” Moreover, other emerging themes highlighted how CSOs have improved their connections to the SFN community and increased their knowledge of the community. Meg offered a first-hand story about how CSOs have increased connections and knowledge of the community, relating to an incident where the RCMP were unable to operate a boat. Meg states that “the RCMP couldn’t respond because none of them had their boat operator license (laughing) they could operate their own boat! That was pretty wild. So the CSO program rallied up some people who had their boat operators (license) and got some boats out there.”

Other aspects of knowledge offered also pointed to a comfort level and trust among SFN citizens when it came to reaching out to CSOs in times of need, as CSOs are comprised of SFN citizens from Pelly Crossing. Betty described the comfort level and trust in CSOs by SFN citizens, stating, “I think it’s um the people you know, and you feel comfortable talking. That’s the biggest strength: having somebody on the other end of the phone that you know that is in your community.”

Additional positive impacts of the SFN CSO program, as demonstrated by the emergent themes, were improved relationships with Pelly Crossing RCMP. Greg described how “interactions with RCMP in the community have improved because [the CSOs] are working with them now, so they’re feeling that you know, they know that [the CSOs are] always there standing in the shadows, um, you know, to support them.” Other themes generated highlight how CSOs have, at times, served as a bridge for Pelly Crossing RCMP officers to SFN and supported officers in responding to certain incidents, particularly in locating house numbers, as many homes in the north do not have house numbers. It should be noted that the impact of CSOs on the work of Pelly Crossing RCMP offices was limited to those individual RCMP offices that chose to work with CSOs, as some officers may not have had full knowledge of CSOs’ work due to the LDP staffing model utilized in the Yukon. Another area that generated a positive theme relating to the impact of the CSO program on Pelly Crossing RCMP was the topic of reconciliation in Pelly Crossing. Evelyn first stated that when it comes to the CSO program, “reconciliation is exactly what we’re doing, um, day to day with the CSO program.” Meg would also note how she viewed the RCMP in Pelly Crossing in terms of how they can support reconciliation. Meg said, “[u]m I think reconciliation for what the RCMP comes with their involvement and interaction with people in the community, being out in the community, part of the community.” Bob would provide further insight into the importance and potential impact on reconciliation of Pelly Crossing RCMP working with the CSOs, emphasizing “like even just having that partnership and that visibility of [the RCMP] working [together] hand-in-hand with [CSOs].”

Overall it seems as though reconciliation is still a work in progress in Pelly Crossing for SFN as most of the themes generated focused on how reconciliation must first start in the community, and the CSO program was too new to make a larger impact, due to the colonial legacy of the RCMP, but one of the themes generated highlighted how the CSO program is an avenue for reconciliation to occur.

CSOs were discussed as being able to serve as active reminders to Pelly Crossing RCMP officers of the presence of residential school survivors living in Pelly Crossing. The ability of CSOs to serve as reminders was discussed, particularly in relation to officers working in coordination with CSOs and other social services in Pelly Crossing, to potentially formulate alternative solutions for residential school survivors who may require additional support if officers have contacted them regarding criminal behaviour. Meg described how CSOs serve as reminders to the RCMP, “there are you know, Residential School, um, Survivors here they’ve been through a lot, just reminding them of that all the time.”

The project also highlighted several tensions and challenges related to the SFN CSO program. Each of the tensions and challenges is highlighted via Tables V and VI. The tensions and challenges detailed in Tables V and VI indicate a need for improved communication and clarification of roles with the Pelly Crossing RCMP, re-engagement with SFN citizens, and a process for capacity development to occur concerning the CSO program. In regard to clarification of roles needed, Meg detailed how there was confusion for the RCMP early on in the SFN CSO program: “It was confusing for the RCMP at the beginning; they didn’t understand what their roles were.” Theresa also added support for the need for some form of a re-engagement process to occur by that SFN post COVID-19 is a new environment and that “the community as a whole is facing, and the program is going to have to adapt.”

TABLE V Tensions present with the SFN CSO program

Theme	Impact of Theme
RCMP staffing uncertainty	Limited duration posting (LDP) model High rates of RCMP turnover Disconnect with SFN
RCMP confusion and concerns	Unease at times between the Pelly Crossing RCMP and CSOs Confusion of roles and working relationship with CSOs
Clarification of roles needed	SFN citizens unsure of the role of CSOs Lack of distinction between roles CSOs backed off law enforcement-type duties Information sharing a concern for investigations
Community confusion and frustration	CSO work schedules and changes with the program since COVID Response to calls Early on CSOs viewed as narcs
Future stability	Improved collaboration (i.e., alcohol and drugs in SFN) Program structure Funding

TABLE VI Challenges for the SFN CSO program

Theme	Impact of Theme
CSO retention and support	CSO staffing challenges Stigma for CSOs due to some SFN citizens viewing CSOs as narcs
Community support	The CSO program has become “hit and miss” when responding to calls CSOs need community support Need for CSOs to adapt to a new reality
RCMP awareness, recognition, and respect	Educating new Pelly Crossing RCMP Possible orientation for new Pelly Crossing RCMP Need for recognition and collaboration by the Pelly Crossing RCMP
State of criminal element and substance abuse	Issue of bootlegging Alcohol and drug use becoming a bigger issue in SFN
Growth and undergo a review that includes examining the role of current CSOs	Role, authority, and day-to-day operations of SFN CSOs need to be re-examined CSO training and relationship with the Pelly Crossing RCMP

DISCUSSION

A Pathway Forward

Suggested avenues for addressing tensions and challenges in the SFN CSO program include reconnecting with SFN citizens, including leaders and the Pelly Crossing RCMP, to ensure their voices are heard in shaping the program’s future. Additional ideas involve strengthening SFN’s capacity through training for CSOs, managing work schedules, and nurturing future leaders – emphasizing self-determination and justice policies. It is also recommended that the territorial and federal governments recognize the SFN CSO program as essential funding, highlighting its crucial role in supporting the safety and well-being of northern Indigenous communities alongside the RCMP. Furthermore, developing an SFN public health model of policing, which brings together SFN and RCMP expertise, could foster collaborative, respectful solutions while evenly distributing responsibilities to prevent overburdening CSOs.

The results of this project highlighted how much of the positive impacts on Pelly Crossing RCMP came down to an individual level. These results indicate a need for the Pelly Crossing RCMP to improve its working relationship with SFN in terms of fully embracing a decolonization process, so as not to have to rely on the individual officers’ views, but to have clear guidelines and protocols for how each new officer must interact and respect SFN as an Indigenous nation. Suggested goals for Pelly Crossing RCMP include (1) countering colonial mindsets; (2) shifting narratives and elevating Indigenous views, cultures, and traditions; (3) lessening colonial power; and (4) setting goals and a process in place to shift key structures, ideologies, and discourses. It is believed that once the roles of SFN CSOs and Pelly Crossing RCMP are clarified via a memorandum of understanding or letter of expectation, then the full potential for the SFN CSO program can be realized as a clear connection to SFN as well as SFN traditions, customs, and beliefs via a previously conducted orientation that SFN CSOs had overseen that was suggested to be restarted at some point in the future.

CONCLUSION

SFN CSO Program: The Impact of the Power of Community in Policing

The SFN CSO program has demonstrated the effectiveness of community-driven efforts rooted in self-determination as an alternative to traditional RCMP policing services. It has enhanced SFN citizens’ sense of safety by providing a consistent presence of CSOs and fostering trust, while also strengthening the relationship between SFN and the Pelly Crossing RCMP. This model could serve as a template for northern Indigenous nations and communities across Canada’s northern territories to adapt according to their traditions, customs, and needs, thereby improving community safety within their own policing frameworks. The final two key insights from my PhD research suggest pathways for northern Indigenous communities to develop their own approaches, offering alternatives to the prevalent RCMP policing model in these regions. Tables VII and VIII offer a more detailed look at these key takeaways.

TABLE VII How the CSO program could be a model across the Far North

Theme	Impact of Theme
Working together	Improve the relationship between northern Indigenous peoples and the RCMP CSOs as bridges into communities for the RCMP CSOs as crucial conduits of information to the RCMP Avenue for identifying best practices
RCMP recognition	Northern Indigenous nations as self-governing nations RCMP must value local knowledge and expertise of CSOs CSO programs need clear mandates for working with RCMP
Alternatives possible	CSO programs show that alternative models of justice are possible Alternatives such as diversion or restorative justice-type programs that are alternatives to the adversarial Eurocentric justice system
Reorienting community safety funding in the Far North to better support northern Indigenous self-determination	CSO programs in the Far North an avenue for re-examining funding for northern Indigenous justice programs CSO programs highlight the need for partnerships in terms of funding

TABLE VIII Key elements needed for a northern Indigenous CSO program

Theme	Impact of Theme
Community buy-in and collaboration	Community must believe in and support the CSO program CSOs must work to foster community buy-in Community engagement must begin during program formation and continue regularly Collaborative approach with RCMP, health, and social services important for dealing with large issues
Clearly defined values and roles for CSOs	Respect, compassion, integrity, professionalism, and honesty Peacekeepers Clarify roles of CSOs via writing effective job descriptions and terms of reference document Defined mandate, authority, and enforcement Abilities
Training and funding	Standardized training and equipment including uniforms Clear line in training of role of CSOs including possible enforcement abilities Partnerships needed to secure funding Formulate plan for funding
Assessment and implementation of a plan	Community assessment – goals for CSOs, needs for community in relation to CSOs, and ability of community to support CSOs Clear plan for program development that clarifies and periodically reviews roles and responsibilities of CSOs in relation to RCMP

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This article examines portions of my PhD dissertation, including findings and tables that I completed in July 2025 for my PhD in Indigenous Studies at the Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies, Trent University.

FUNDING

None.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST DISCLOSURES

The author has no conflicts of interest to declare.

DETAILS OF POSSIBLE PREVIOUS OR DUPLICATE PUBLICATION

None.

ETHICS APPROVAL AND INFORMED CONSENT

All the ethical process requirements for Selkirk First Nation, the RCMP in Pelly Crossing, the PhD Program Ethics Process for the Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies, and the Trent University Research Ethics Board (REB) were fully met and adhered to throughout this entire project. The PhD Program Ethics Process at the Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies and the Trent University REB reviewed and approved this project, ensuring all ethical standards were followed in accordance with Trent REB policies and the PhD Program Ethics Process. Oral informed consent was utilized for this project for each of the Zoom interviews that were completed.

AUTHOR AFFILIATIONS

^∗Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada;

^†Seminar Faculty Member, Fleming College’s Police Foundations Program, Sutherland Campus, Peterborough, ON, Canada.

REFERENCES

Blake, E. (2017, June 30). These eight homicides have had an impact. Whitehorse Star. https://www.whitehorsestar.com/News/these-eight-homicides-have-had-an-impact

Clancey, G., Lee, M., & Crofts, T. (2012). ‘We’re not Batman’ – Roles and expectations of local government community safety officers in New South Wales. Crime Prevention and Community Safety, 14(4), 235–257. https://doi.org/10.1057/cpcs.2012.10

Connors, S. (2023, April 19). Inuk mother says daughter’s run in with Yukon RCMP left her hospitalized. APTN National News. https://www.aptnnews.ca/national-news/inuk-mother-says-daughters-run-in-with-yukon-rcmp-left-her-hospitalized/

Government of Saskatchewan. (n.d.). The community safety officer program: Frequently asked questions. https://suma.org/pub/sumaorg/uploads/documents/community_safety_officer_faqs.pdf

Hong, J. (2020, June 19). Yukon SCAN unit director goes to court to shut down alleged Pelly Crossing bootlegger. Yukon News. https://www.yukon-news.com

Lang, E. (2023, May 2). Alleged drug dealer temporarily barred from Selkirk First Nation land. CBC News North. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/selkirk-drug-dealer-injunction-1.6828871

MacIntyre, C. (2019, September 3). Safety patrol formed after violent crimes mark Yukon community. APTN News. https://www.aptnnews.ca/national-news/safety-patrol-formed-after-violent-crimes-mark-yukon-community/

McKenna, P. F. (2014). Tiered policing: An alternative model of police service delivery (Canadian Police College discussion paper series). Canadian Police College. https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2017/grc-rcmp/PS67-1-2-2014-eng.pdf

Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). (2022). Yukon RCMP year in review – 2020-2021. http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca

Ruddell, R., & Jones, N. A. (2018). Policing the ‘middle of nowhere’: Officer working strategies in isolated communities. Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice, 14(2), 414–427. https://doi.org/10.1093/police/pay007

Selkirk First Nation (SFN). (2024). Our people. https://selkirkfn.com/about-us/

Yukon Bureau of Statistics. (2015). Police-reported crime statistics in Yukon. Government of Yukon. https://yukon.ca/sites/default/files/ybs/fin-police-reported-crime-statistics-in-yukon-2015.pdf

Correspondence to: Fenno, J. G., Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, Ontario, K9L 0G2, Canada. Telephone: 705-868-5592. E-mail: jasonfenno@trentu.ca

(Return to Top)

This work is distributed under the Creative Commons BY-NC-ND license. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/. For commercial re-use, please contact sales@sgpublishing.ca.

Journal of CSWB, VOLUME 11, NUMBER 1, March 2026