CALGARY — The RCMP is making its case to Alberta taxpayers as the province develops its own police service, pointing to federal cost sharing that lowers what some municipalities pay per Mountie.As first reported by Blacklock’s Reporter, a new RCMP report puts the total cost of its Alberta policing operations at $938.5 million in 2025–26. Provincial and municipal partners paid $682 million, while Ottawa covered $256.5 million.The report, The Alberta RCMP: Understanding Policing Costs and Agreements, compares what governments pay per officer. A municipality with 5,000 to 14,999 residents pays an estimated $172,000 per RCMP officer, with Ottawa contributing another $74,000. The total is $246,000. By comparison, the report lists costs of $272,000 per Edmonton police officer and $313,000 per Calgary police officer.The RCMP cautioned that the figures are averages, calculated by dividing policing costs by the number of officers. They are not fixed rates, and differences in the areas each service patrols and the costs included can affect comparisons..Four charged after RCMP bust multimillion-dollar Calgary contraband tobacco ring.“The primary drivers of rising policing costs are labour, market pressures and operational costs, all of which are impacting law enforcement agencies across North America,” the report said.The RCMP said its aim was to clarify how its agreements work, rather than influence provincial or municipal policing decisions.The figures arrive as Alberta establishes an independent agency police service through the Alberta Sheriffs. The province passed Bill 15, the Public Safety and Emergency Services Amendment Act, in April. Alberta previously had a provincial police force, which was disbanded in 1932.The RCMP’s provincial and municipal policing agreements run until March 31, 2032. Under the provincial agreement, Alberta pays 70% of eligible policing costs and Ottawa pays 30%. Municipalities that contract with the RCMP pay either 70% or 90%, depending on their population, with the federal government covering the balance.The report says more than 80% of policing costs are tied to personnel, including salaries, benefits and overtime. It also cites rising prices for vehicles, equipment and infrastructure, along with the cost of policing rural areas.The Mounties released their figures ahead of Alberta’s October 19 referendum, which will include a question on whether the province should remain in Canada or begin the constitutional process toward a binding referendum on independence.
