One idea being discussed by the Alberta Next panel is a provincial police force, and the Western Standard looks into whether Alberta should end its contract with the RCMP and the costs associated with it.Currently, there are three types of police services in Alberta: Municipal, indigenous, and provincial, provided by the RCMP through an agreement with Ottawa.Roughly 80% of Albertans are served by their local municipal police services, including Calgary, Edmonton, and Lethbridge police services. Some indigenous communities have their own independent service, while others are policed by the RCMP through tripartite agreements, reads the government’s website.The provincial one is paid for by Alberta, where the RCMP police rural communities and a few mid-size cities.According to the panel’s website, the plan to have a provincial police force includes assisting mid-size communities like Red Deer, Fort McMurray, and Airdrie to have their police services — just like bigger cities — while deploying the suggested provincial police service to protect smaller rural communities..What happens if Alberta stops making the equalization payments?.And when it comes to the current RCMP officers serving rural communities, the panel says they would be asked to join the new police force.While RCMP officers have always worked hard to keep rural communities safe, the panel says the problem is “getting short-changed” by Ottawa.“Because the federal government is failing to provide the number of promised officers and resources to Alberta communities under the policing contract, response times are slow, staffing is stretched thin,” the panel said on its website.Since the RCMP is a federal force, promotions are limited for most Albertans, the panel says, citing French language requirements. It adds that Mounties can also be moved across Canada at a moment’s notice.“An Alberta provincial police service would be run by and for Albertans — accountable to our province, and not to the federal government in Ottawa. Police officers and support staff could build long-term careers in the Alberta communities they know and love,” according to the panel..Alberta Next panel’s tax collection plan: Here's what you need to know.“With local recruitment and stable placements, rural response times would improve considerably from where they are now, and coverage would become more reliable and tailored to each municipality and region. This is especially important in underserved rural Alberta communities.”If Alberta creates its own provincial police force, municipal policing would not be changed, as the change would only affect communities with RCMP local policing, stressed the panel.Meanwhile, the RCMP Major Crimes Division would not be replaced. According to the panel, the “K” Division would still be doing the federal policing around investigative matters that meet their mandate, such as nationwide gang activity and counter-terrorism.Edmonton defence lawyer and the chair of the Criminal Trial Lawyers' Association's policing committee Tom Engel told the Western Standard on Thursday the panel should “explain in detail” why a provincial police force is needed, noting that a government should not interfere in policing.“This has been, I think, rejected by many communities, and the government just keeps plowing on,” Engel said..‘ALBERTA HAS AN OTTAWA PROBLEM ’: Smith, panel hear from the public in Edmonton.Engel points out one advantage to having a provincial police force.“And that is that the disciplinary system under the RCMP is badly broken,” Engel said.“You make a complaint against an RCMP officer, then it’s investigated by the RCMP detachment or the region where the officer works. And it’s almost always a biased investigation.”The panel says establishing a new police force is an investment, citing significant costs associated with building infrastructure, hiring and training personnel, and buying equipment.“The startup costs could reach into the hundreds of millions over several years,” says the panel..'IT'S SIMPLY NOT FAIR': Smith says Alberta could consider pulling out of supply management.“The federal government currently covers 30% of RCMP contract policing costs. While there are operational savings we would see compared to the bureaucratic federal organization, it is likely that there will be additional ongoing operational costs for the province. Municipalities would not be asked to pay these additional costs.”Ontario and Quebec have their own provincial police forces — the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and the Sûreté du Québec (SQ).The OPP is mainly funded by the Ontario government. It also receives support from municipalities for policing services, donations, and fundraising efforts by the OPP Youth Foundation. The OPP Youth Foundation supports youth development programs. Meanwhile, the SQ receives funding from the Quebec and federal governments, municipalities, tripartite agreements, and special initiatives.“It is much more cost-effective for (Ontario and Quebec) to have a provincial police force than Alberta,” said an economics professor at Concordia University, Moshe Lander, citing significantly larger land and population sizes.Alberta’s population in the first half of 2025 was estimated to be 4,980,659 — Quebec’s population was estimated at 9,110,616, and Ontario’s was estimated at 16,176,977.Land-wise, Quebec is approximately 2.3 times larger than Alberta. Ontario is approximately 63% larger than Alberta..EXCLUSIVE: UCP members propose party vote on Alberta independence.Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced earlier this month the appointment of Sat Parhar as the first chief of the Independent Agency Police Service (IAPS) — another step toward a new municipal policing model, giving municipalities an alternative to existing law enforcement options, including the RCMP.IAPS is expected to eventually take over many of the duties currently carried out by Alberta Sheriffs and will function as an independent Crown corporation under the new name Alberta Sheriffs Police Service, with its headquarters in Calgary.Smith elaborated that the new model will still work with the RCMP on collaborative projects and areas where they have expertise.The Western Standard has reached out to the RCMP and NDP’s office for comments.The panel will be hearing ideas from the public in town halls throughout the summer. The six topics that will be discussed are federal transfers and equalization, Alberta Pension Plan (APP), constitutional changes, provincial police force, immigration, and tax collection.Albertans will have the opportunity to decide on some of these topics as a referendum is coming in 2026.The next Alberta Next panel is set to take place in Edmonton on August 14.With files from Jen Hodgson.Political scientists say UCP members' demand to vote for Alberta independence ‘inevitable’
