The Province was considering an unpopular move to a new provincial police service that would have cost Albertans hundreds of millions more in transition and operational costs. This money would be far better spent addressing the priorities and concerns of Albertans by investing in the Alberta RCMP, the criminal justice system, and healthcare and mental health supports.
Replacing the RCMP would forfeit $188 million annually, currently paid by the federal government which funds 30% of Alberta’s RCMP policing costs. This cost would need to be covered by Alberta taxpayers.
Alberta taxpayers and municipalities would be on the hook for the full cost of provincial policing, plus transition costs. Combined with the lost federal contributions, transition costs are currently estimated to be over $550 million. Based on actual costs in other jurisdictions, this could double, triple, or worse.
The Province’s rejected provincial police service model would have cost Alberta taxpayers $164 million more in operational costs annually than the existing Alberta RCMP, for only 56 more police officers. For the same investment, the Government could add 600+ more RCMP officers to serve Albertans. Many of the accountability functions are already addressed through the existing Provincial Police Service Agreement, which gives the Provincial Public Safety Minister the ability to set the direction and priorities for the Alberta RCMP.
Learn the answers to frequently asked questions about provincial policing in Alberta