Alberta moves to offer municipalities a provincial alternative to RCMP

Alberta is a big step closer to having a provincial police force. New legislation will see it created as a Crown corporation competing against the RCMP.

Alberta is moving ahead with plans to create a new independent provincial police agency that could shift the province’s policing landscape — if enough municipalities choose to make the switch from the RCMP.

Public Safety and Emergency Services Minister Mike Ellis introduced Bill 49 on Monday, which proposes the establishment of a Crown corporation to deliver police services independently from the provincial government.

The new agency would assume many duties currently carried out by Alberta Sheriffs and offer an option for municipalities that feel underserved by existing policing arrangements.

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“This is just another step toward increasing law enforcement capacity across the province and giving municipalities more options for their local policing needs,” Ellis told reporters.

“We’re going to do whatever it takes to keep Albertans safe.”

An independent board will govern the agency, and it will employ its own officers — a structure Ellis said would insulate it from political interference.

“Our government firmly believes that law enforcement must operate free from political interference,” he said.

Although the RCMP will remain Alberta’s provincial police service for now, Ellis acknowledged that could change if more municipalities adopt the new agency.

“I don’t disagree with the premise of your question,” Ellis said when asked by CTV News whether the shift could render the RCMP irrelevant.

“I think this is kind of a case-by-case (thing), and we’ve got to continue to assess the situation.”

He pointed to chronic staffing shortages and delayed response times in rural areas as key reasons for pursuing the change.

“I’m hearing concerns about response times and costs all over this province,” he said. “We are anywhere from 17 to 20 per cent short in authorized strength.

“We pay $16 million for services we do not get.”

The province has identified about 600 Alberta Sheriffs who already perform police-like roles and could become officers with limited additional training.

Alberta would redirect the Sheriffs’ $136-million budget to the new agency, which Ellis said means the province won’t be starting from scratch.

“This is not new money,” he said. “We already have infrastructure, equipment and trained personnel — we’re just transitioning.”

Centres already making the change

Ellis also cited Grande Prairie as a model.

That city is replacing the RCMP with its own municipal police service and expects to gain more officers, better oversight and lower costs — despite losing federal subsidies.

Based on that example, Ellis said other municipalities might also achieve better or more affordable policing depending on their agreements with the new agency.

Bill 49 would allow municipalities to contract the agency as their police provider once it becomes fully operational, with appropriate oversight, capacity and standards in place. While the government hasn’t finalized a cost-sharing formula, Ellis said the new agency gives communities another option.

“I keep getting complaints from municipalities all over this province about the current service and what they’re paying,” he said.

“If I take the small village, say they’re paying $27,000 — and if that’s going to double — they can’t afford that.”

The province has funded studies in 35 municipalities to explore alternatives. Ellis said the decision will rest with local governments.

“If municipalities want to continue with their current police of jurisdiction, they can,” he said. “But if they want to explore another option — that choice should be available to them.”

Previous polls rejected provincial police idea

In 2021, the Alberta government commissioned PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to examine the feasibility of replacing the RCMP with a provincial police service.

The Alberta Provincial Police Service (APPS) Transition Study estimated annual operating costs between $734 million and $758 million — slightly above the $742 million spent on the RCMP.

However, the study did not include the loss of the roughly $170-million federal subsidy that would vanish if Alberta dropped the RCMP. It also projected a one-time transition cost of about $366 million over six years.

Despite the government’s push, many Albertans remain skeptical.

A June 2024 poll by Pollara Strategic Insights for the National Police Federation found that half of Albertans oppose the creation of a new independent police service.

Another 25 per cent said they were unsure, and only a small minority supported the move.

The survey of 1,200 Albertans revealed:

84 per cent believe Alberta has more pressing priorities than changing police providers;

87 per cent want detailed cost and service impact information before any changes take place;

86 per cent support keeping the RCMP, with some improvements;

77 per cent of those in RCMP-served areas said they were satisfied with their current policing; and

73 per cent expressed satisfaction with the RCMP’s response during natural disasters.

The poll has a margin of error of +/- 2.8 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

The National Police Federation, which represents regular members and reservists of the RCMP below the rank of inspector, commissioned the poll.