Preventing rural crime remains a 'top priority' for Alberta government

(Supplied/RCMP)

CALGARY — The Alberta government says it is moving ahead with a number of priorities it identified during a summer-long tour of the province, discussing issues of rural crime with concerned residents.

Officials say Minister of Justice and Solicitor General Kaycee Madu attended more than 60 events and meetings over the summer, where he heard about Albertans' thoughts and concerns on the issue.

During those meetings, they discussed police response time, victims' services, the need for a better system to deal with repeat offenders as well as the possibility of installing a provincial police service.

"What you told us will help inform our ongoing work to ensure Albertans feel safe and protected in their homes, no matter where they live," Madu wrote in a release.

"We know the federal government must step up by enacting laws that put a stop to the revolving door justice system that allows repeat offenders to victimize law-abiding citizens over and over again, and we echo the call of Albertans for them to act quickly on this."

There have already been a number of changes aimed at reducing rural crime, officials say.

They include a system to allow sheriffs and wildlife officers to respond to a wider range of calls, appointing Alberta's first-ever firearms officer and passing a number of regulations and laws to protect property owners and prevent criminal acts.

The Alberta government says it also invested in new Crown prosecutors and support staff and appointed more judges to the provincial court.

A provincial police service transition study is currently underway, officials say, but opponents to the idea say it will result in a lot of lost funding.

The National Police Federation, which represents approximately 3,500 RCMP members in Alberta, says $160 million in grants would be lost if Alberta adopts a provincial police service.

It says on its website, KeepAlbertaRCMP.ca, that the money represents about 30 per cent of Alberta's policing costs, and without federal help, taxpayers would be "on the hook."

"At a time when Alberta’s economy is facing significant challenges due to the impacts of COVID-19 and uncertain natural resource markets, now is not the time to proceed with unnecessary and costly changes to our policing model," it wrote.

A survey posted on its website suggests 81 per cent of Albertans, served by the RCMP, are satisfied.