On January 9, 2022, Mike Ellis got quite the letter from Danielle Smith. Mike Ellis is Alberta’s Public Safety and Emergency Services Minister.
He makes sure crime is kept under control and offers support programs and services for victims of crime.
In her letter to Ellis, Smith told him to work with the United Conservative Party’s (UCP’s) Tyler Shandro. Shandro is the same guy Smith is asking to develop the Sovereignty Act. Smith now wants Ellis and Shandro to work together to launch an Alberta Police Service (APS).
Basically, Smith wants to ditch the RCMP and create her own police force. Like the Avengers but without all the lasers.
This transition from the RCMP to an APS will be anything from smooth. It would cost Alberta $366 million in startup costs as well as $735 million every year.
To put things into perspective, the RCMP currently costs the province about $500 million every year. $150 million of this amount is covered by the federal government.
That is quite the bump in expenses, which isn’t good news for citizens who like their public money to be spent wisely.
However, in October of last year, Alberta’s previous Justice Minister Kaycee Madu claimed that the government could find the money to fund it without raising taxes.
Mm hmm, is that magic money tree fruiting again?
Even if an APS doesn’t end up costing Alberta citizens more, is it really worth the money needed to make it happen? An APS could take up to six years to get up and running but it would provide better service and put more officers on the street.
A provincial police force would also increase the number of civilian specialists on the frontline. This includes mental health nurses and social workers.
But an APS would be paid for by the province and its municipalities, not the federal government.
However, the provincial government guarantees municipalities won’t have to pay any more for an APS than they do now for the RCMP.
The Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) has its doubts. The RMA represents 69 counties and municipalities in Alberta. The association aims to be a voice for these communities.
Last summer, the RMA’s members held a vote for the UCP’s proposed APS. Seventy percent of the RMA’s members voted against the plan.
“If it’s about improved policing in Alberta, let’s figure out the problem and maybe ask the RCMP to address that problem, rather than going a whole other route,” said RMA President Cathy Heron.
These rural leaders are now calling for the idea of a provincial police force to be on the ballot. They want the choice to be in the hands of Albertans.
A survey done by the National Policing Federation found that most Albertans are satisfied with the RCMP. In fact, a large majority of participants stated they were satisfied with the policing they received.
But at the end of the day, it is up to Albertans to decide if they feel protected in their communities, however big or small.
