A recent proposal of the federal government has been met with applause from the territories which have welcomed the national strategy on mental illness. The northern part has been reeling under a serious problem of mental health. The suicides rates are at their peak in Canada and this plan would surely help to bring down the numbers.

Other problems like addiction to drugs and alcohol as well as inadequacy of the criminal justice system with the region have dented all the measures taken to uplift the situation. In all of this, the police have to take the responsibility to provide support for people in distress. Steve McVarnock, the head of the RCMP in Nunavut, acknowledges the fact that police departments are having a tough time tackling with people with mental illness. The number of encounter of police confronting a mental ill person is also on a rise, and with the absence of adequate services, the situation would only become worse.

Last month, the RCMP in Nunavut announced various security protocols to be taken in account after there was a surge in dangerous incidences in the territory. Now that the federal government has acknowledged the distinct circumstances, rights and cultures of aboriginal people, the situation would become very easy for the local authorities to handle.