The Yukon government says it will set up a police review council, create a domestic violence response team, and improve the RCMP's relationship with First Nations.
Territorial justice officials announced a number of new initiatives on Tuesday, as it works on implementing a number of recommendations from a police services review done last year.
Justice Minister Marian Horne told reporters in Whitehorse that the Yukon Police Council, a citizen oversight panel for RCMP services in the territory, will be up and running this summer.
Justice officials also announced that they are negotiating an agreement with the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) to conduct external investigations of any alleged serious wrongdoing involving Yukon RCMP members.
As well, they said the Yukon government will spend at least $600,000 to set up a domestic violence response team that will respond to domestic violence cases around the territory.
Assistant deputy justice minister Bob Riches said the domestic violence response team will cost the Yukon government about $600,000 a year to operate.
In addition to the domestic violence response team, the government will establish a domestic violence and sexual assault coordinating committee that will "develop a comprehensive framework and to coordinate the response of service providers," officials say in a release.
Justice officials said they will work with the Council of Yukon First Nations, Yukon College and the RCMP on training more Yukon First Nations people and women to work in justice and law enforcement.
Riches said some money will be available to get community groups involved.
"It's not going to be a whole bunch of money out there," he said. "Some people are going to have to reset priorities and things like that to be involved in this."
Government officials could not say how much all the new initiatives combined will cost.

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