Alberta Police Service transition study

An Alberta Police Service would have more frontline officers stationed in communities across Alberta than the RCMP currently does.

The proposed model has ways for communities to work closely with the police so local service levels better meet their needs.

Under the proposed model, successful provincial initiatives like Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT), would be expanded to combat complex crime that crosses borders, as well as improve their reach in rural Alberta.

The policing model presented by PwC Canada shows that a new provincial police service could operate at a cost comparable to the current cost of the RCMP’s provincial and municipal contract operations in Alberta.

At the same time, Alberta communities would gain a greater say in determining future policing costs than they do under the current RCMP model, where the federal government has most of the say.

The proposed Alberta Police Service model would establish a provincial police commission and local police commissions to increase the role Alberta communities have in setting policing priorities.

If the province adopts the proposed model, we would absorb RCMP policing costs currently covered by the federal government without raising taxes or imposing additional policing costs on municipalities.

The model proposed by PwC presents an opportunity to reimagine policing in Indigenous communities by working closely with them to realize their ambitions and recognize their distinct needs.

Under the proposed model, Indigenous communities that want to establish a self-administered police service would maintain the ability to do so, just as they have today.

In fact, the model goes a step further and envisions a provincial police service that would actively support the creation of First Nations police services and work with them to ensure their continued viability.

It’s important for all municipalities in Alberta to have the same high level of service and accountability.

Under the proposed provincial policing model, local police commissions would be established to give municipalities a stronger voice and lay the groundwork for community policing that’s more aligned with community priorities.

Local police commissions would:

• work with their detachment commander to set priorities for community policing and community safety
• formally participate in selecting the detachment commander
• monitor the local detachment’s performance in meeting community policing priorities, via regular reports from the detachment commander
• provide regular updates about local police performance and priorities to a provincial police commission

The policing model proposes establishing multi-disciplinary teams specializing in mental health, addictions and family crises. Under this model, nurses, mental health professionals and social workers would be a part of the police service, rather than working alongside it.

Having mental health specialists available to respond alongside officers can help the police better address root causes of crime and divert vulnerable people away from the criminal justice system. This could make our communities safer while reducing the strain on Alberta’s courts.

The RCMP currently deploys mental health workers with police officers in Regional Police and Crisis Teams in 14 detachments out of 113 in Alberta. The provincial police service model envisions having this capacity in all areas of Alberta.

Effective community policing comes from having officers with a strong knowledge of their surroundings and a solid understanding of local issues.

Under the proposed policing model, recruiting policies would focus on candidates who would like to stay in Alberta. An Alberta provincial police service would give experienced officers an opportunity to advance their careers where they are, instead of having to transfer somewhere else to do so.

Rural communities could then benefit from the institutional knowledge and specialized skills of these experienced officers.