INNISFAIL – The community is having its second in-person community engagement on policing this month and a key focus will be on the Alberta’s government’s proposal for a provincial police force.
In collaboration with the Town of Innisfail’s Fire and Protective Services Department, the Innisfail RCMP is co-hosting the community engagement with the Town of Innisfail on the evening of Tuesday, Nov. 15.
The event is being held at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #104 in Innisfail. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
“These meetings are an excellent opportunity for people to let us know their concerns. It also gives us a chance to identify potential issues that have not been brought to our attention,” said Gary Leith, manager of fire and protective services for the Town of Innisfail.
In early 2022, Innisfail RCMP identified in-person community engagement as a strategic priority for this year.
In the first community engagement that was held last June 23 the focus was local crime statistics, crime reduction and issues of concern from the 35 citizens who attended.
Along with updates on local policing efforts in the community, the Nov. 15 engagement was to also include a presentation from a representative from the National Police Federation on the province's proposed provincial police service. The presentation is not going ahead.
"The purpose of this public forum is to identify potential policing issues and set Innisfail RCMP’s operation plans to meet those concerns in the coming year. Therefore, a representative from the National Police Federation will not be conducting a presentation on the Government of Alberta’s proposed provincial police service as part of this town hall," an RCMP press release issued Nov. 1 stated.
Innisfail town council is on record as supporting the RCMP to continue its historic role in providing provincial law enforcement.
Mayor Jean Barclay said the provincial policing issue may not be as front and centre as it should be but it’s one that many in the community should know more about, especially the financial implications.
“I don't believe we have seen a valid reason to switch from the RCMP to an Alberta provincial police service,” said Barclay, adding cost is a big concern with the proposal as 30 per cent of the total $1.6 million local police budget – about $500,000 – is paid by the federal government. “The other thing that concerns us is just the whole transition in general; how difficult is it going to be to attract recruits to a new police service, and you think about having to buy equipment and vehicles and a training centre and on and on.
“Why aren't we looking at what we have and if it needs to evolve then let's work with the RCMP and help it evolve,” said Barclay, noting the effectiveness at the community level with the new Policing & Safe Community Committee that has been working collaboratively with the RCMP to identify issues of concern.
Editor's note: This article has been updated from the original to include the Town of Innisfail's role in the community engagement.
