Albertans continue to voice concern over provincial police pitch; UCP critics speculate idea not dead

Alberta's opposition leader is accusing the UCP government of trying to continue on with a provincial police force against Albertans' wishes.

The United Conservatives have been talking about cutting policing ties with Ottawa since 2020.

But the province has since been marred by complaints from municipalities and residents that it's not being forthcoming about the proposal details and whether it is – or isn't – a done deal.

"I honestly think this is a case of wolf in sheep's clothing," Rachel Notley said.

"I don't think these folks have backed off their plan to kick out the RCMP."

CTV News tried to ask the premier for an update Friday, but Danielle Smith abruptly cut off media questions during a press conference.

She then ignored reporter inquiries on the way out of her event, instead ducking behind lined-up staff and passing the baton to her deputy premier.

"There is no intention to pursue that at this point in time," Kaycee Madu said.

"There is no plan to implement a provincial service as was floated a couple of years ago."

The opposition believes that phrasing doesn't inspire a lot of confidence.

"I think this is a quick little pre-election pivot that will end up being reframed as a misspeak after the election, should they get elected," Notley said.

If the idea is jammed through, it's one that will likely be widely unpopular.

A new online survey, delivered by Leger and sponsored by the University of Lethbridge and the Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA), showed 54 per cent of respondents disagreed with the idea of Alberta having its own police force.

Only 23 per cent said it should.

"The vast majority believe that we should look at other ways of dealing with crime and dealing with the other issues tied to crime, as opposed to changing the police force," RMA president Paul McLauchlin said.

"Consultation is important in a lot of areas, particularly in a big-ticket item like this one," Taber Mayor Andrew Prokop added.

"It's already proven it's going to be a higher cost than was anticipated, so obviously, Albertans have a right to be concerned about that."

A 2021 PricewaterhouseCoopers report commissioned by the province estimated an Alberta-specific service would cost $735 million every year, on top of $366 million in start-up costs.