Have Your Say on the Province’s Costly, Untested New Police Service
On April 10, Alberta’s Minister of Public Safety introduced legislation to establish a costly, untested new police service in the province—the Independent Alberta Police Service (IAPS). This is deeply concerning.
No Accountability or Transparency
Albertans and municipalities have already rejected the Government’s previously proposed provincial police service from 2021. Despite this, the Government is pushing forward with the same idea under a new name, and they’re doing it without public consultation, a clear plan, or a business case.
To make matters worse, Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis made several false claims in the Legislature to support his politically motivated idea. These include misleading numbers about RCMP staffing and 9-1-1 response times; claims that we’ve corrected in a letter.
Hidden Costs, No Clear Benefit
The Government hasn’t explained how the IAPS will work—or what it will cost. But we know it won’t be cheap. Past estimates for the previously failed provincial police service put start-up costs at $372 million, with $164 million in annual operating costs.
And now, with Alberta facing a $5.4 billion deficit, why pour taxpayer dollars into a secondary police agency that no one asked for?
Albertans Have Been Clear: Invest in the RCMP
Polling shows strong support for the Alberta RCMP:
- 77% of respondents in RCMP-served communities are satisfied with the RCMP.
- 86% want to retain the RCMP in their community.
Every dollar spent on an unnecessary project is a dollar taken away from building up the trusted, highly trained RCMP officers who already serve Alberta.
Take Action Today
We’ve updated our website to make it even easier for you to take action.
Tell the Minister to stop this plan and invest in the Alberta RCMP.
Together, we can ensure that decisions about policing in Alberta are made with transparency, accountability, and respect for what Albertans really want.