The Northwest Territories RCMP are revisiting the policy of naming people who have been charged with criminal offences. In October of 2023, The NT RCMP adopted a policy of naming people who had been formally charged when issuing press releases. The intent was to have a standardized and equally applied policy for the naming of accused persons that could be consistently applied. The names of people who are charged is public record and this information is accessible to everyone on the NWT Court dockets. The policy also brought the NT RCMP in line with other RCMP Divisions.
Since that time, this policy has been reviewed by senior RCMP management. The policy, while consistent, did not take into account the unique community dynamics and situations that sometimes arise when naming charged persons in the media. After a review, a new policy was created that provides a clear nexus between the naming of accused persons and public safety. Moving forward, the NT RCMP will name people that have been formally charged under the following circumstances:
- When people are charged with drug trafficking and related offences;
- When people are charged in connection with organized crime and any violent offences that stems from this activity – particularly when there are weapons involved;
- Acts of violence that pose potential risks to the public.
The intent of the new naming policy is to meet the need of the public to be informed of what the police are doing to address issues in their communities and ensure that public safety issues are identified to community members.
