Daylu Dena Council enacting proactive lockdown to keep drug dealers out of Lower Post, B.C.
Community wants to show 'unwelcome individuals' they're united against them, says deputy chief
Daylu Dena Council in Lower Post, B.C., is hoping a new lockdown protocol will help keep the community safe from a rise in violence and drug activity.
As of Friday, the small northern B.C. community is hiring roaming officers to patrol from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. to be on the lookout for anyone who neither lives or works there.
The lockdown will be in place until further notice, the council said in a news release this week.
The news release indicates that only residents of Lower Post are permitted in the community and residents who host known drug dealers or violent individuals risk losing their tenancy. Employees of Daylu Dena Council, Daylu Fuels, Iyon Kechika Contracting and Dena Kayeh Institute are also allowed in for work purposes.
Spouses and family members of residents who do not live in Lower Post will need council approval to enter.
Harlan Schilling, deputy chief of the Daylu Dena Council, said the decision is in response to a rise in drug activity across the country.
"With these things comes violence and safety concerns," he said.
"Our health and social team is just trying to be proactive and give the community support members reassurance that, you know, safety is number one for our community."
Lower Post, B.C, is about 24 kilometres south of Watson Lake, Yukon, and is policed by the Watson Lake RCMP detachment. Schilling said they're working with the RCMP to report suspicious activity or unknown vehicles — a benefit of living in a community small enough for residents to know each other, he said.
Schilling said they're not responding to a specific immediate threat, just being proactive about community safety.
"It's more just showing these unwelcome individuals that, you know, it takes an active community to be healthy and that we're all standing united in this front to say, you know, it will not happen here in Lower Post."
He said he's not sure how long the lockdown will last, but chief and council is looking for provincial, territorial and federal funding sources to try and keep the program going.
"I hope this brings a little bit of inspiration to other communities across the North. It takes all of us to make a safe home."
The news release indicates there is a community meeting set for Tuesday to update members.
With files from Elyn Jones