What Municipalities Can Do
The final price tag is unknown, but we know municipalities and local residents will pay the price.
Municipalities that choose to leave the RCMP for either new municipal services or the Alberta Sheriffs Police Service lose federal cost-sharing, which currently covers 10–30% of policing costs. That means higher local taxes or cuts to other services.
72 Municipalities and other organizations from across Alberta have already signed a Call to Action sent to the provincial government, voicing concern over the costly push for a new provincial police service.
Municipal policing reviews across Alberta have made one thing clear: keeping the RCMP is the most cost-effective and practical choice.
| Red Deer (2020) | Found that transition costs would exceed $13.5M and annual operating costs for a municipal police service would be 16% higher – or $7M annually. |
| Airdrie (2020) | Found that a municipal police service would cost roughly $5M more annually in operating costs. |
| Grande Prairie (2023) | Found that it would cost $19M in transition costs and $2-$4M more in annual operating costs per year. |
| Beaumont (2024) | Beaumont reviewed all public safety services, including fire and police. Their report recommends efficiencies to improve the current policing service delivery model. |
| Olds (2024) | Found that annual operating costs of a municipal police service would be significantly higher. In Year 1, it is projected to be 57% higher than the current RCMP model, increasing to 84% higher by Year 3. |
While trying to sell a new police service, the Alberta Government offered grants to municipalities to study alternative policing models. While about 10% of all municipalities in Alberta took a grant, many used the money to study improvements to RCMP policing or found through their studies that maintaining their RCMP was the best option.
Grande Prairie: Subsidized Transition Thanks to Alberta Taxpayers
The Province often points to Grande Prairie’s policing transition as a success story, but they fail to mention that it required $9.4 million in provincial subsidies to start and has already received an additional $7M in May 2025, with more funding on the table if required to make the transition a success. That’s not sustainable or guaranteed for other municipalities. It downloads the costs for one municipality’s police service onto ALL Albertan taxpayers. And we’re left asking: why should a resident in Edmonton or Calgary be footing the bill for a policing transition half a province away?
Municipal Leaders Must Stand Up for Their Communities
Policing costs are already unpredictable in Alberta, with the Police Funding Model imposed by the Alberta Government set to expire in 2026 and few opportunities for public consultation. The Province’s lack of a detailed plan for the Alberta Sheriffs Police Service leaves municipalities vulnerable to unexpected financial and service-level impacts. Municipalities also know that money on the table today for policing transitions may not be there tomorrow, leaving them with hefty bills to cover rising policing costs.
Municipalities can reject this plan and instead push for more investment in Alberta RCMP resources to enhance policing where it’s needed most, keeping all Albertans and their communities safe.