The county brought Resolution 18-26F, Evidence-Based Public Safety Reform and Municipal Policing, to the Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) Fall Convention. The resolution was defeated, with 57.1 per cent voting against it and 42.9 per cent in favour.
In written responses provided on behalf of Deputy Reeve Lorne Halisky, the county said council brought the resolution forward because decisions about rural public safety should be backed by evidence, financial accountability and meaningful public consultation.
The province has been advancing the Alberta Sheriffs Police Service. The county said municipalities have not been given an independent feasibility study, full lifecycle costing or detailed information showing how a change would improve policing in rural communities.
The county said it has no issue with the Alberta Sheriffs. It wants any change to deal with police staffing, response times, repeat offenders, court delays and access to specialized services.
“Changing a police uniform does not automatically create additional officers or make our communities safer,” the response said.
The county wants to know whether rural areas would get more officers, whether response times would improve, whether rural detachments would stay staffed, and what it would all cost.
It said it cannot reliably estimate the financial impact of a switch because the information has not been made available. That was one of the main reasons for the resolution.
The current RCMP arrangement includes a federal contribution toward policing costs. The county said any replacement would have to address how that money would be replaced. There would also be potential costs for recruitment, training, vehicles, facilities, dispatch, technology, equipment, pensions and specialized services.
The resolution referred to an earlier provincial policing assessment that estimated about $372 million in start-up costs and $164 million more each year. The county noted those are historical figures, not current projections for the Alberta Sheriffs Police Service, and said updated, independent numbers are needed.
The county said rural communities should not get reduced service while being asked to pay more.
The resolution also called for more investment in frontline policing, Crown prosecutors, court capacity, repeat-offender management, mental-health response and community-based crime prevention.
The county said it respects the vote and can’t speak to why other municipalities voted against the resolution. Some may favour expanded provincial policing or have had different experiences with their current policing.
“A resolution being defeated does not mean the underlying concerns have been resolved,” the response said.
The county said it will keep raising its concerns with provincial representatives and municipal partners.
It encouraged residents to share their concerns with county council and their provincial elected representatives, and to take part in any public consultation on the future of policing in Alberta.
“At the end of the day, public safety should be about the safety of our communities, not the colour of the uniform,” the county said.
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