Municipal governments are important partners in Alberta's public safety system.
Some municipalities and First Nations already have their own services. Many others are exploring the possibility of setting up their own. Alberta’s government is supportive of this work and has a grant in place to assist municipalities in taking this work on (you can read more here).
For smaller communities that are unable to set up their own police service, Alberta’s government believes that having an Alberta Police Service will allow us to have more boots on the ground, better civilian oversight, increased local input, and less bureaucracy.
No Added Cost for Municipalities
The provincial government has committed that municipalities would pay the same, or less, for an Alberta Police Service compared to what they pay under the RCMP contract policing model. This would be the same for municipalities policed under the Provincial Police Service Agreement as well as for municipalities that contract for the provincial police's services.
Increased Input
An Alberta Police Service would have a reformed governance model that includes a provincial police commission and local commissions to give municipalities more say in setting policing priorities and performance targets, both provincially and at the local level, compared to the federal government's contract policing model.
Increased Service
An Alberta Police Service would have more front line police officers in rural areas, compared to the RCMP contract policing model. More police officers in detachments all across Alberta means greater coverage, reduced response times and lower case loads per officer. Learn more here.