UCP continues to push for provincial police, but new leader will set agenda on divisive politics

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Alberta’s United Conservative Government continues to launch a provincial police force to replace the RCMP, even as some aspiring leaders question the merits of the proposal.

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Ditching the RCMP in favor of an Alberta police service remains a key political push for Prime Minister Jason Kenney and his Attorney General Tyler Shandro.

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That’s an unusual approach for a prime minister finishing the final weeks of his term, said Lisa Young, a political science professor at the University of Calgary.

“This is pretty weird,” Young said.

“Under normal circumstances, a lame government like this would not be pushing major initiatives, and certainly not initiatives that are not responses to an urgent situation.”

UCP members will elect a new leader on October 6, and that person will have a major influence on Alberta’s political agenda, including the future of community policing.

Postmedia asked the seven leadership hopefuls about their support for a provincial police force and the role rural municipalities should play in the decision to scrap the RCMP.

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In a statement, Travis Toews said he thinks provincial policing is worth exploring. He said the RCMP has “a culture of risk aversion and overly centralized decisions” and argued that a provincial alternative could reduce bureaucracy and improve police culture.

“However, this is not a policy that I would implement from day one,” Toews said. “Before I go any further, I would make sure that municipal leaders and rural Albertans finally support the decision.”

Rebecca Schulz said she would not move forward with a provincial police service, saying it does not have the support of municipalities and arguing that Alberta could better spend the money for the provincial police on other initiatives to tackle rural crime and community safety.

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The candidates also addressed the issue in a debate in Calgary on Thursday at the annual meeting of Alberta municipalities.

There, Danielle Smith said she “would want to move immediately with the increased” policing by the RCMP, saying systemic changes are needed amid an influx of mental health and addiction calls.

Brian Jean said, “I am committed to not taking the RCMP out of Alberta,” saying the current rural crime problem is bigger than hiring more police.

Leela Aheer and Rajan Sawhney said they do not support a provincial police force, citing opposition from municipalities. Aheer called the lack of funding information “bizarre”, while Sawhney said: “We’re trying to find a solution to a problem that hasn’t been fairly articulated.”

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Todd Loewen voiced support for a provincial police force, but said municipalities shouldn’t be forced to foot the bill.

The UCP began to raise the idea of ​​the provincial police in 2020, after a recommendation in a Fair Deal Panel reportwhich was charged with finding ways to improve Alberta’s economic position and independence within Canada.

The province commissioned a report from PricewaterhouseCoopers last year that estimated the costs of a police transition at at least $366 million, with a new provincial service possibly costing about $200 million more than is currently spent on the RCMP.

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Shandro has argued that Alberta’s policing model will need to change, as Ottawa’s current 20-year funding agreement with the provinces for the RCMP ends in 2032, and his government anticipates that the federal government will stop funding police contracts in the provinces. provinces.

However, the proposed police change has not obtained the approval of the municipalities.

Rural mayors have voiced opposition to the proposal, with some speaking out about what they describe as a gap in consultation among those more familiar with the needs of the community. The Rural Municipalities of Alberta passed a resolution at their spring convention calling on the province to enhance existing RCMP operations rather than impose a provincial force.

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A recent poll of Pollara commissioned by the National Police Federation found that 55 percent of Albertans oppose changing from the RCMP to a provincial police service. However, support for the proposal was strongest among people living in communities currently served by the RCMP.

Young said it is difficult to predict the direction of the UCP after a new leader and prime minister is elected. But she expects the proposed provincial police force to remain a hot topic, particularly if presumptive front-runner Danielle Smith wins, given that the idea aligns with Smith’s core platform’s push to increase Alberta’s sovereignty within the confederation.

“This is different from the Sovereignty Act (proposed by Smith), as it is entirely constitutionally appropriate. It is certainly within the purview of the provincial government to do this,” Young said.

“I think the dilemma is that it doesn’t necessarily accomplish the things that its advocates want it to accomplish. Having a provincial police force doesn’t really limit Ottawa’s influence over public policy in Alberta in any significant way.”

— With archives from The Canadian Press

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Twitter: @jasonfherring