New from me.
Alberta is exploring the idea of establishing a provincial police force. What are the motivations behind this move, how much is it going to cost, and do Albertans even want it?
#yeg #ableg
Alberta currently pays $262.4 million for its RCMP service, with the feds paying $112.4 million annually in a 70-30 split. This is the prime concern for Alberta’s small towns and cities.
“We could be saddled with some immense costs going forward without federal contributions.”
Dr. Laura Huey, a criminologist at the University of Western Ontario, estimates the cost is likely to be in the billions.
"I’m not convinced necessarily that people understand and appreciate how enormous those costs are, and that those costs are ongoing and forever.”
In the end, it all comes down to cost versus control, Dr. Huey argues. But with increased control comes the risk of politicization, an issue that concerns NDP Justice critic Irfan Sabir.
“I think the province shouldn’t be controlling directly how these police forces operate."
So why is Alberta pursuing this? Autonomy from Ottawa seems to be the largest driving factor.
Derek Fildebrandt, former MLA for Strathmore-Brooks and publisher of the Western Standard, suggests the UCP are in search of a “legacy project” to hang its hat on. #ableg