Photo by Curtis Galbraith

By Curtis Galbraith

City Hall

City Hall to look at possible municipal police force for Grande Prairie

Sep 28, 2022 | 3:36 PM

City council has approved taking $250,000 from a reserve fund to come up with a transition and public consultation plan for a possible municipal police force for Grande Prairie.

Council held the vote at a special council meeting Wednesday.

Mayor Jackie Clayton says public consultation will be a big part of this process.

“They feel our community isn’t safe. As councilors, we know statistically that our crime is reducing in our community.”

“However, Grande Prairie continues to, despite the efforts of the RCMP and substantial investment from the City of Grande Prairie, continually exceed provincial and national averages in relation to crime severity.”

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Clayton says a 119-page report on a policing review done in 2021 was presented to council earlier this week.

She adds this is not an anti-RCMP report and that it found the Mounties were providing an acceptable level of service and that the individual officers are well-regarded and hard-working.

Clayton says the problem is that the “RCMP one-size-fits-all approach isn’t necessarily serving our community the best it can.”

She adds it is good governance for city council to look at alternatives.

“If a municipal police force was the plan following the report, and it’s a big if, there could be support for a municipal police force in ways different from the RCMP.”

“This municipal police force would support local initiatives. It would align better with council’s priorities. It would have local oversight and local accountability.”

A detailed report from a consultant on the municipal police force proposal is expected in early 2023. Clayton says this would look at things like cost.

“We know that right now, there are instances where there could be savings with a municipal police force, but this report will bring back further detailed financial information.”

” It will bring back how it impacts our organization in IT and human resources and technology.”

Clayton says policing is the city’s biggest expense and council needs to consider if the current way of doing things is the safest option and the best use of city money.

She adds it is possible the report will recommend staying with the RCMP.

Clayton says this is not tied to the provincial government’s discussions about having a provincial police force.