The RCMP responded to the Alberta Next Panel that recommends a provincial police force instead of the RCMP.
The Alberta Next Panel conducted engagement sessions across the province, and now have delivered their report, which has prompted a response from the RCMP.
As part of the Alberta Next Panel, they held online engagement and 10 in-person town halls across Alberta this past summer and fall, and with the report, they have seven recommendations, which they believe will enhance Alberta’s sovereignty within a united Canada.
Now that the report has been completed, the government caucus will review the recommendations and discuss which recommendations they intend to adopt.
“Through Alberta Next, Albertans were clear that for too long, decisions made outside this province have limited Alberta’s ability to grow our economy and chart our own course,” Premier Danielle Smith stated in a media release. “This engagement was about confronting those realities and identifying concrete options to take control of our future. We’ve received the panel’s recommendations and will review them carefully before responding in the months ahead.”
The seven recommendations include continuing to build and support institutions for trusted, responsible self-government to reduce Alberta’s dependence on Ottawa, provide Albertans with a detailed Alberta Pension Plan proposal, complete a detailed cost-benefit analysis for Alberta collecting its own personal income taxes for future consideration, take a leading role to reform equalization and fiscal federalism, continue with the work of establishing an Alberta Police Service (APS) and transition community policing services from the RCMP to the APS and municipal policing services, proceed to a provincial referendum on the provincial government exercising more control over immigration, and proceed to a provincial referendum on Alberta working with other provinces on specific constitutional amendments to protect provincial jurisdiction.
The RCMP responded to the recommendation of the Province continuing the work to establish an Alberta Police Service and move away from the RCMP.
“The Alberta Next Panel has released its recommendation to establish an Alberta Police Service, which has understandably generated discussion across the province,” the Deputy Commissioner, Trevor Daroux, the Commanding Officer for the Alberta RCMP, stated in a media release. “Decisions about who provides policing services in Alberta ultimately rest with the Government of Alberta, and we fully respect that responsibility.”
The release goes on to say that what the RCMP can control is how they serve, which will continue to be their focus.
“Every day, the Alberta RCMP shows up to protect, support, and partner with communities across this province — professionally, impartially, and independently. Our focus has always been and will continue to be on public safety, grounded in the needs of the communities we serve,” Deputy Commissioner Daroux added in the release.
Through the contract the RCMP has with the province, the Alberta RCMP provides policing services to roughly 20 per cent of Albertans in rural communities.
They also serve another 20 per cent of Albertans through municipal policing contracts, including communities such as Brooks.
In total, that is roughly 40 per cent of the province’s population across 95 per cent of the province’s geography.
“We know that staffing levels and police visibility are important concerns for rural Albertans. Recruiting and retention remain challenges for police agencies across North America, and Alberta is no exception. What is important is that we are seeing meaningful progress. Since April 2024, we have received more than 4,600 applications, which are translating into additional officers in communities across the province,” said Deputy Commissioner Daroux.
Deputy Commissioner Daroux added that while the Police Funding Model is a Government of Alberta model, the Alberta RCMP received funds as a result.
Because of that, they have been able to add 279 police officers, which includes 136 directly in detachments, and 242 civilian positions, with 77 of those supporting detachment operations.
“Through this funding model and the support of our partners, we have continued to modernize how we police. We have built a Real-Time Operations Centre (a center that directly supports front line policing), expanded our drone program, increased investigative capacity and added a third specialized Emergency Response Team,” Deputy Commissioner Daroux says.
Due to these investments, the RCMP says the Alberta RCMP is on the leading edge of modern policing in Canada and directly support community safety, which they say helped to enhance their ability to bring a swift conclusion to the dangerous situation in the County of Grande Prairie recently.
On December 27, the Grand Prairie Rural RCMP responded to reports of shooting in progress on a rural road, which left two deceased at the scene.
The RCMP were able to find the person responsible and took them into custody the same day.
“Combined with the dedication of our employees and the contributions of the communities we serve; these efforts have helped reduce crime rates in Alberta to the lowest levels in five years,” Deputy Commissioner Daroux added. “We recognize that ongoing uncertainty about the future of provincial policing weighs heavily on communities, just as it does on our employees and their families. While discussions about the future model of policing may continue, Albertans can be confident that their safety is not a matter for debate and will not be compromised.”
While there are discussions about moving towards a provincial police force, the RCMP say they will continue to serve Alberta without interruption, and will remain focused on modernizing their operations, strengthening frontline capacity, and more.
“I want to reassure our communities that regardless of what is ultimately decided, our priority remains unchanged. That priority is — and will always be — the people of Alberta,” Deputy Commissioner Daroux says.
To learn more about the Alberta Next Panel report, click here.
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