(Photo Credit: United Conservative Caucus)

By Nathaniel Leigh

RCMP

Deputy Premier addresses RCMP vacancies during roundtable discussion

Apr 16, 2024 | 6:00 AM

Alberta’s Deputy Premier and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services hosted a roundtable discussion Monday to address vacancies within the Alberta RCMP.

Mike Ellis says Alberta RCMP has a 21.6 per cent vacancy rate, with only 1498 officers out of the 1911 the federal government has authorized for Alberta.

Ellis says communities can explore possible solutions by utilizing the Municipal and Indigenous Police Transition Study grants.

“I am empowering communities to tell me what they want when it comes to their policing needs through the completion of this independent study, which the grant pays for,” says Ellis. “The studies will identify shortfalls or if there are shortfalls when it comes to policing right here in Alberta communities.

Ellis says he is supporting Bill 11 which, if passed, will enable the creation of new independent agency police service that will essentially train and allow Peace Officers to respond to emergencies outside their jurisdiction.

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“They are highly trained Peace Officers, but they are not police officers at this particular time,” he says. “And that’s what Bill 11 is, to get trained to the level of a police officer so they can properly augment and support both the RCMP and other policing services all throughout this province.”

He also gave kudos to Grande Prairie for its work researching and implementing a municipal police service, the first new one since 1956.

“What [The City of Grande Prairie] realized is that they could get better service with more coverage, and it’s cheaper,” he says. “That’s why you are seeing them having a Grande Prairie Police Service. If somebody is interested in seeing what is best for their community, they are certainly welcome to take one of these $30,000 grants and do the independent study.”

The GPPS first Chief Dwayne Lakusta is set to be sworn in on April 19.