OLDS — The province has approved an application by the Town of Olds for a $30,000 grant to study the feasibility of a municipal or regional police force versus RCMP.
Chief administrative officer Brent Williams made the announcement during town council’s March 13 meeting.
That comes just a week after council voted against writing a letter to the province supporting retention of the RCMP in case that could jeopardize the town’s chances of receiving that grant.
“The community policing grant to study the feasibility of a standalone and original force has been approved,” Williams told council.
“We are working through that process now, getting the grant signed off.”
Williams said the next step will be to go through the steps to hire a consulting firm to undertake the study.
"We just want to have as much information as possible,” Williams said.
“This is not an effort to get rid of the RCMP; quite the opposite, in fact. It’s just to better understand what policing in Olds looks like and what it could look like.”
Coun. James Cummings said it’s his understanding that the purpose of the study is to look at the feasibility of setting up independent municipal or regional police force.
“It has nothing at all to do with the Alberta police force option that the UCP has proposed. Is that correct,” he asked.
“Correct,” Williams said. “There’s been nothing released on the Alberta provincial police force.”
