The RCMP will remain as the law enforcement agency of choice for most Alberta municipalities, including Innisfail, until at least 2032.
Last week Alberta and the federal government signed a 20-year new contract for the RCMP to remain the provincial police force.
“It is a reflection of the positive relationship the RCMP has had with the province for many years,” said Innisfail S. Sgt. Lyle Marianchuk, the detachment’s commanding officer. “This instills the fact that the province has been satisfied with the work the RCMP has provided to the province.”
The RCMP has been providing law enforcement service to Alberta since 1932 following the disbanding of the Alberta Provincial Police (APP). Last week’s announcement puts to rest rumours in recent years the province was seriously considering resurrecting the APP.
“This new agreement is a critical step forward for both Alberta and the RCMP,” said Frank Oberle, provincial solicitor general and minister of public security, in a news release. “It establishes a modern relationship built on consultation, respect for each other’s roles and responsibilities, and an understanding of each other’s needs. RCMP contract policing has been an effective model across Canada for many years, and this renewed relationship will help us address the rapidly evolving, cross-jurisdictional nature of crime.”
There are currently 111 RCMP detachments in Alberta. The federal police agency employs about 4,000 Albertans across the province, including more than 1,450 regular member positions under the provincial policing contract.
Forty-three municipalities with populations of more than 5,000 will contract directly with Canada for local policing. The RCMP also provides policing to all municipal districts and counties and Métis settlements regardless of population, as well as to towns, villages and summer villages with populations under 5,000, and to First Nations communities where other policing arrangements have not been made.
Under the agreement, the current cost sharing between the province and federal government is maintained. Alberta pays 70 per cent, while Ottawa picks up the remaining 30 per cent.
The Government of Canada has approval to enter into arrangements with Alberta municipalities for the RCMP to provide local policing. In addition, Alberta will set the objectives, priorities and goals of the RCMP in the province. Added emphasis will be given to information sharing, planning, and reporting.
“It would have surprised me if we hadn’t remained in Alberta,” said Marianchuk, adding he has not heard any “credible” concerns with the RCMP’s performance in the province. “The client satisfaction surveys have always put RCMP service at a high rating. Our goal will be to maintain that high service delivery.”
