Alberta policing plan receives pushback and support from municipal leaders

While the Alberta government is pushing back from some municipal leaders on a plan to make sheriffs a second provincial police force, it is gaining support from others.

At the Alberta Municipalities meeting in Red Deer on Friday, Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis heard from Coun. Ed Cole is from Alix Village.

“Frankly, when are we going to leave this Alberta provincial police alone? Eight out of 10 Albertans want to protect the RCMP,” he said.

“We can’t afford that. Let’s put the money back in the RCMP budget where it belongs,” Cole said.

His comments were met with enthusiastic cheers and applause from nearly 1,000 attendees.

It comes as the province looks to expand the role of sheriffs and Premier Danielle Smith said she was considering opening new local detachments and expanding training.

The government also plans to establish regional police committees, raising questions about who will have policing authority in smaller municipalities.

Ellis said it was unacceptable for police calls not to be responded to quickly enough, especially in rural areas.

“I’m trying to get officers out on the streets. The independent policing service that’s being created is being done because there’s such a huge demand, not just from municipalities, but from jurisdictions across Alberta,” he said.

He said the sheriff’s goal is to strengthen and support other police services, but the RCMP is short 400 officers, a number the Mounties objected to on Friday.

Ellis said if communities want to adhere to RCMP contracts he will respect that, but communities that want other services must also be respected.

“I’m trying to make you stronger,” he said to applause.

RCMP say there are a total of 1,772 police officer positions under provincial contract in Alberta, and 306 of them, or 17 per cent, are vacant. Of the vacant positions, 124 are vacant, and the rest are civil servants on leave, including sick and maternity leave.

Alberta Municipalities chief Tyler Gandam, who is mayor of the city of Wetaskiwin, said he supports the expanded role of Alberta Sheriffs.

“The chance we have to improve the safety of our residents across the province is undoubtedly a good thing,” he said.

Speaking to reporters, Cole said the state lacks resources, including proper training centers for sheriffs. He said he wants the state to be more transparent about potential costs.

Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi said Thursday he heard from municipal leaders they were confused about the province’s police plan.

“Taking over the Alberta provincial police force and starting from scratch is the height of financial madness. It will cost a lot of money and it’s not clear if it will solve any of the problems,” Nenshi said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 27, 2024.