New bill lays groundwork for Alberta provincial police
Minister says province preparing just in case RCMP pulls out of local policing
The Alberta government is introducing legislation that will lay the groundwork for a new provincial police agency that is made up of sheriffs. But there is no timeline or budget for when the changeover would take place, if the bill is passed by the legislature.
Bill 11, an amendment to the public safety statutes, establishes an independent policing agency governed by a civilian oversight board to oversee operations and provide accountability for its officers. The bill was introduced Wednesday by Public Safety and Emergency Services Minister Mike Ellis.
In a news conference earlier on Wednesday, Ellis said the new service would not replace the RCMP in Alberta, as provincial police officers will work with existing police forces.
But then Ellis said the provincial government was building out the sheriffs' service just in case the RCMP pulled out of local policing when the current contract expires in 2032.
"The RCMP just do not have enough human beings to police Canada, regardless of the amount of money that we give them," Ellis said. "That's a challenge, I get that. But I can't wait for them to just continue to try to figure stuff out."
There is no money being set aside in the budget to implement an Alberta provincial police service. Ellis could not provide a timeline for when it would be up and running.
RCMP supported by many municipalities
The bill is yet another step in the contentious debate over who provides policing in Alberta outside of the municipalities that have their own police forces.
The push to establish an Alberta provincial police force started after the report from the Fair Deal Panel was released in 2020. That report recommended the province move ahead with its creation.
The subsequent PricewaterhouseCoopers report commissioned by the provincial government said the cost of transitioning from the RCMP would be at least $366 million. The province would lose the $170 million in funding it received from the federal government.
Irfan Sabir, the NDP Opposition justice critic, said the province should be focusing on bigger priorities like stopping drug poisoning deaths, providing affordable housing, education, droughts and wildfires.
He said the UCP didn't campaign on this issue in last year's election, nor was it included in her mandate letters to Ellis and Justice Minister Mickey Amery.
Sabir said he believes the UCP's reason to move to a provincial police force is based on politics, not on a desire to provide greater public safety.
"They want to tell their base that they are somehow standing up to Ottawa by adding more costs onto municipalities, adding more costs onto Albertans," he said, "without doing anything to address public safety, without addressing homelessness, without addressing mental health, addiction crisis and all other issues that are facing Albertans."
Many Alberta municipalities have written letters to the province opposing the transition away from the RCMP. Some have applied for the $30,000 grant offered by the province to study local policing options. Both Alberta Municipalities and Rural Municipalities of Alberta oppose the move.
'Deeply concerned and perplexed': RCMP union
The National Police Federation, which represents RCMP officers, has been fighting to keep the RCMP in Alberta.
NPF president Brian Sauvé said in a statement to CBC News that they were "deeply concerned and perplexed" about the bill.
"Alberta has significant policing infrastructure in place through the Alberta RCMP yet the government has not increased funding for our members to keep pace with population growth and evolving crime in the province," Sauvé wrote.
"Proposed changes to policing in Alberta have been deeply unpopular with Alberta residents and today's announcement appears to be yet another attempt to force an unwanted and expensive policing change on taxpayers."
Temitope Oriola, a criminology and sociology professor at the University of Alberta, who previously advised the government on changes to the Police Act, said Bill 11 is setting Alberta on the path to having a provincial police service replace the RCMP.
"If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, it is probably a duck," he said. "Let's just call it what it is. This is going to be to all intents and purposes, if not immediately, over time, a provincial police service."
Oriola said talks to renew the RCMP contract beyond 2032 may mark the end of the police service's involvement in providing local services in Alberta. He said the government should be more upfront with the public about its plans to avoid "unnecessary rhetorical gymnastics."
The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees, which represents Alberta sheriffs, was caught off-guard by the provincial government's announcement.
"How will the duties of these sheriffs change? Will they be paid at the appropriate rate? Will they receive more training if needed?" Bobby-Joe Borodey, an AUPE vice-president, said in a news release Thursday.
The news release said there was no consultation with the union about the creation of the new policing agency.
"Sheriffs want to know that their rights will be protected and that they will be properly supported in their duties," Borodey said.
"They deserve to be treated with respect — and that means they need to be given reassurances."
Bill 11 also enables Alberta to take over the electronic monitoring program for violent, high risk and sexual provincial offenders.
The program is currently provided by a private company, with costs paid by individual offenders.
The new program will use GPS technology, be available around the clock and watched by a central unit within Alberta corrections. The province will also cover all costs.
The new program is expected to start this fall.
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With files from Janet French