Proposed provincial policing plan would bolster Alberta’s rural, remote detachments
An Alberta Provincial Police Service would see sworn officers currently working in administrative positions at larger detachments redeployed to front-line roles in smaller communities, according to a proposed plan released Tuesday.
The effort would see Alberta's smallest detachments staffed with a minimum of 10 front-line officers as part of an overhaul to the structure of policing in the province, should the government choose to move away from the RCMP.
The government hasn't decided yet whether it will actually move forward with a provincial police force, but the proposal sets a framework for how one would work.
Under the current RCMP detachment model, some smaller detachments have as few as three officers, the province says.
The plan for redeployment assumes sworn officers currently in administrative roles such as human resources, cybersecurity and other roles that could be performed by civilian specialists would be sent to smaller detachments in rural and remote communities. The proposal also assumes a provincial police force would acquire building infrastructure and equipment currently being used by the RCMP.
“This report reveals that the current deployment model is bureaucratic and heavily centralized. By moving to a provincial deployment model, we would be able to add 275 front-line police officers to the smallest 42 detachments," said Tyler Shandro, Alberta's justice minister.
"We can also make access to mental health, addictions, family crisis services and other specialized police services more accessible to all communities across Alberta," he said.
A report released in October by PricewaterhouseCoopers suggests the price tag to transition away from the RCMP would be about $366 million initially, with annual costs of around $734 million.
The proposed plan released Tuesday outlines a structure that would see an Alberta chief of police overseeing six deputies: a deputy of Indigenous policing; a deputy of community health and well-being; a deputy of corporate services; and deputies for each of the north, central and south detachments.
In addition to up to 85 community detachments, a provincial policing approach would see 20 to 30 “service hubs” to provide specialized services and three “regional headquarters” to oversee smaller detachments.
The proposal to move away from the RCMP has previously been opposed by the Rural Municipalities of Alberta.
"Based on the arguments provided by the province so far, there's simply no evidence that a switch to a provincial police service will be worth the cost and disruption," reads a letter sent by the group to Shandro in April.
The National Police Federation, representing about 20,000 RCMP members across the country, has also panned the idea of a provincial police force and launched a campaign to “Keep Alberta RCMP.”
If Alberta decides to move away from the RCMP, it would take at least two years to set up a provincial police force and an additional one to two years to transition detachments away from the RCMP, officials say.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn’t over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball’s highest scorer Caitlin Clark’s first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
U.S. vetoes a widely supported UN resolution backing full membership for Palestine
The United States has vetoed a widely backed UN resolution that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for the state of Palestine.
Bayer recalls hydraSense baby product over 'potential contamination'
Bayer announced Thursday it is recalling two lots of its hydraSense Baby Nasal Care Easydose due to a potential contamination.
N.L. gardening store revives 19th century seed-packing machine
Technology from the 19th century has been brought out of retirement at a Newfoundland gardening store, as staff look for all the help they can get to fill orders during a busy season.
Cat found on Toronto Pearson airport runway 3 days after going missing
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
Grandparent scam suspects had ties to Italian organized crime, police allege
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.