OLDS — Likely in March, town council is expected to discuss where it stands regarding a proposal to replace RCMP in the province with a provincial police service.
That question was raised when council received a letter written by Town of Carstairs Mayor Lance Colby on behalf of the South Central Mayors’ Caucus.
The two-page letter questioned the wisdom and practicality of replacing RCMP with a provincial service, saying it appears such a move would do little to cut crime in rural areas.
The letter also said it’s not a given that current RCMP officers would automatically move over to the new police service.
Instead, the letter suggests improving current RCMP services. It also suggests that the provincial government’s efforts would be better spent improving “Alberta’s faltering court system.”
In addition, it notes that councillors in Surrey B.C. initially planned to replace RCMP with a municipal service, then changed their minds. Colby wondered why and whether provincial officials have met with Surrey officials to find out why.
In the end, Olds council voted to receive the letter – and other correspondence in its Jan. 23 agenda – as information.
It was also suggested that council should have full discussion on where they stand on the issue, perhaps as soon as the Feb. 6 policies and priorities (P & P) meeting.
However, in an email to the Albertan, chief administrative officer Brent Williams said it’s more likely that discussion will take place during the March policies and priorities meeting.
“We’re hoping more information arises from the province in the near future on what a provincial police service would look like,” he wrote.
Coun. James Cummings suggested that council have a discussion laying out their opinions on the matter. Mayor Judy Dahl liked that idea.
“We really haven’t sat down as a council together (to discuss it),” Dahl said.
"We have been to many meetings in the community and other communities, but I can’t really sit here and look at every individual and say, ‘what are we thinking?’”
“We have over 300 municipalities in Alberta and they need to have a say and there’s an election coming up,” she added.
Williams gave another reason why discussion on the issue might be held off for a while.
Late last year, at his suggestion, council voted to apply for a $30,000 grant offered by the province to study the feasibility of setting up a stand-alone or regional police force.
Williams told council he anticipates finding out by the end of February if the town has been successful in that application.
If the grant application is successful, Williams estimated it would take three to six months for a consultant to complete that study.
Coun. Heather Ryan said it was her understanding that the town sent a letter to the provincial government on the issue earlier.
Indeed it did.
In March, 2021, the council of the day voted to have then-mayor Mike Muzychka send a letter to the provincial government outlining council’s position that it didn’t think a provincial police force is needed in Alberta and it was fearful of what it would cost municipalities if one were set up.
However, the town may eventually have no choice but to obtain some other form of policing, Ryan indicated.
She noted there are rumours that the federal government may be looking to get out of funding provincial policing via the RCMP.
As a result, she said, “I’m not sure if the Alberta government is out of line with doing it.”
Nonetheless, Ryan said it would be good to have another discussion to see how the current council feels about the matter.
