After the Government of Alberta first introduced their plan for a new provincial police service in 2021, they could not convince Albertans that it was a good idea. This proposal has faced significant opposition from Albertans, who have consistently shown a strong preference for maintaining the existing Alberta RCMP as the provincial police service. Successive waves of polling have shown that the overwhelming majority (86%) of Albertans prefer keeping the Alberta RCMP (Pollara Strategic Insights, June 2024).
While many details about the new independent police service remain unknown, one of the primary concerns is its financial impact on Alberta taxpayers. The proposed start-up costs for the previously proposed provincial police service were estimated to exceed $372 million, with an additional $164 million more in annual operating costs, to be covered by Alberta taxpayers.
These substantial costs come at a time when the province is already facing budgetary challenges, and they raise serious questions about the necessity and feasibility of creating a new police service. In fact, 84% of Albertans believe there are more important priorities, such as affordability, healthcare, and economic issues (Pollara Strategic Insights, June 2024).
Albertans deserve a voice in decisions that affect public safety in their communities. The plan for an independent police service was introduced without meaningful consultation with Albertans, raising concerns about transparency and accountability.
The province has not provided a detailed plan on how the new independent police service would address existing issues in governance, funding, service delivery, or improve public safety. An overwhelming majority (87%) of Albertans believe that there should be a thorough examination of the costs and potential impacts on service levels before making any changes to policing in the province, and of those with an opinion, 65% of Albertans think creating a new police service is a bad idea (Pollara Strategic Insights, June 2024).
You deserve answers. Send a letter to the Government today demanding they listen to Albertans and provide transparency related to this costly and unwanted plan.
Demand Transparency from the GovernmentOver the past five years, the Alberta Sheriff's budget has increased by 75%, from approximately $70.5 million (2019-20) to $123.6 million (2023-24). During the same period, the province's contribution to the RCMP's provincial contract budget only increased by 40%, from approximately $265.7 million to $371 million. This uneven funding does not reflect the complex policing needs of Alberta's communities.
A 2023 pilot project deploying Alberta Sheriffs in Calgary and Edmonton failed to produce significant results, leading both cities to opt for increased police instead. This underscores the importance of investing in existing police services rather than creating a duplicate service that relies on sheriffs.
The RCMP continues to attract strong recruitment, with more than 200 Albertans applying each month and national applications surpassing 17,500 in 2023/24. The creation of a new independent provincial police service could disrupt the current law enforcement ecosystem, causing competition for recruits and resources, and potentially weakening the RCMP and other municipal police services, especially in rural and remote areas.
Alberta's public safety is best served by investing in and supporting the Alberta RCMP, rather than creating a new, costly, and unnecessary independent police service. The RCMP has a long history of serving the province and has the infrastructure, experience, and local knowledge to continue doing so effectively. We urge the Government of Alberta to reconsider the plan for a new independent police service and instead focus on enhancing the resources and support for the Alberta RCMP to ensure the safety and security of all Albertans.
The federal government has stated they are not ending contract policing in 2032, which means that RCMP Members will continue to provide policing services to municipalities and provinces for many years to come. The federal government is continuing to work with all contract partners – including Alberta – on how the RCMP can improve the service it provides to communities. The federal government allocated $21 million in Budget 2024 to start negotiations with contract partners.
Alberta’s RCMP Members are highly trained public safety experts, bringing best practices from extensive, high-quality training at Depot combined with local knowledge, ongoing training, and on-the-job experience to effectively serve our communities. With the provincial and local RCMP, Albertans have access to over 150 RCMP specialized services enhancing public safety across the province.
Six successive waves of research conducted by Pollara Strategic Insights have continued to show that 77% of Albertans in RCMP-served communities are satisfied with the policing services of Alberta RCMP Members (Pollara Strategic Insights, June 2024).
Albertans support Alberta RCMP Members!