What Municipalities Can Do
Municipal leaders must stand up for their communities.
As the provincial government moves ahead with plans to replace the RCMP with the Alberta Sheriffs Police Service (ASPS) at the municipal level, municipalities are being asked to consider major changes without clear costs, timelines, or service details.
Here’s what’s at stake:
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Unclear costs:
Key details on ASPS and future policing arrangements are still missing, leaving municipalities vulnerable.
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Higher local taxes:
Leaving the RCMP means losing 10–30% in federal cost-sharing, pushing more costs onto municipalities and driving higher taxes for residents.
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Reviews across Alberta show keeping the RCMP is the best choice:
| Red Deer (2020) | Switching from the RCMP to a municipal police service would cost over $13.5M upfront and 16% more annually (~+$7M/year). |
| Airdrie (2020 and 2024) | A municipal police service would cost roughly $5M more per year than the RCMP. |
| Grande Prairie (2023) | Transitioning from the RCMP would cost $19M, plus $2-4M/year in ongoing costs. Grande Prairie’s police transition required $16M+ in provincial funding, costs shared by all taxpayers, not guaranteed for others. |
| Beaumont (2024) | Recommended improving the existing RCMP model, rather than replacing it. |
| Olds (2024) | A municipal police service would cost 57% more in Year 1 and 84% more by Year 3 compared to the RCMP. |
| Rocky Mountain House (2025): | Found the RCMP model had the lowest total cost over six years compared to a new municipal police service. |
Don’t let your community face higher costs without the full picture.
Municipal leaders can protect residents by demanding a full feasibility study on the ASPS and supporting dedicated RCMP Members in communities across Alberta by singing the Call to Action that you can read below.