By Canadian Press

WILL CONTINUE SUPPORTING RCMP

Rural Municipalities of Alberta opposes creation of provincial police service

Apr 5, 2022 | 3:55 PM

NISKU, Alta. – An independent association comprising of counties and municipal districts says it opposes a proposal from the Alberta government to create a provincial police force.

Late last year, Premier Jason Kenney implored rural leaders to consider the merits of a provincial police service.

His United Conservative Party government has said provincial police would increase service levels in rural areas, decrease overall policing costs and increase local input into policing.

But Rural Municipalities of Alberta says in a news release that the proposed model leaves significant gaps in how it would increase service levels in rural areas.

The association says it has submitted a report to the Ministry of Justice and Solicitor General opposing the creation of the police force.

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It says its members have already endorsed a resolution to continue supporting the RCMP in Alberta.

“Alberta’s NDP has always opposed the UCP’s expensive and misguided scheme to remove the RCMP from Alberta,” said Joe Ceci, NDP Critic for Municipal Affairs. “Municipal leaders from across the province have made it abundantly clear that they also oppose this idea. Albertans can’t trust the UCP when they refuse to listen to local leaders and press forward with a plan that comes with $366 million in up-front costs.”

“This comes on top of $286 million in downloaded policing costs the UCP has already forced onto rural homeowners and small business people,” added Ceci.

“The UCP’s refusal to drop this obviously bad idea leaves me with serious concerns about what truly motivates them to pursue this plan,” said Irfan Sabir, NDP Critic for Justice. “The RCMP are still conducting a criminal investigation into the UCP’s 2017 leadership contest. When the Elections Commissioner started to probe deeply into that same contest, the UCP fired him. Now they are threatening to fire the RCMP.

“Alberta’s NDP is committed to listening to local leaders and scrapping this plan if we form the next government.”

(With files from rdnewsNOW)