Hundreds of extra Mounties are set to patrol rural Alberta, the government announced Wednesday..A new police funding model by the government will see $286 million injected over five years for 500 new officers and civilian positions, in what the province says is the biggest increase in RCMP funding since the Great March West..A new cost-sharing partnership will see small and rural communities begin to pay a portion of frontline policing costs, bringing them into line with larger communities and cities..Under the cost-sharing terms in the Provincial Police Service Agreement (PPSA), Alberta pays 70 per cent of policing costs and the federal government covers the remaining 30 per cent..The government says with the additional investment from municipalities starting in 2020, the federal share of the PPSA will increase as well meaning a total increase in rural police funding of more than $286 million over five years..The government is also creating a new Alberta Police Advisory Board, where municipal leaders will work with police to make sure local needs are heard and met, the government said in a release..“Ensuring Albertans are safe, secure, and protected in their communities goes to the heart of who we are as a government,” said Doug Schweitzer, Minister of Justice and Solicitor General..“We want to ensure we fund law enforcement in an equitable and sustainable way that will ensure we have more police in our communities. With this new police funding model, we are making the single largest investment in rural policing since the March West and delivering on our promise to enhance public safety.”.Jason Nixon, Minister of Environment and Parks and MLA for Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre, said crime has affected many in his riding..“It is an issue that is incredibly personal to me. All Albertans deserve to feel safe in their own homes and confident that they will not fall victim to violent or property crime. This new police funding model will provide increased security and certainty for rural Albertans, and value for taxpayer dollars,” Nixon said..High ranking RCMP officials welcomed the news..“The Government of Alberta has made an unprecedented investment in their police service, and we are ready to deliver on that commitment. The funding model announced will allow the Alberta RCMP to put additional resources where they are needed most immediately – on the frontline in your detachments, protecting your backyards and your farmyards, pushing back crime in a sophisticated and focused manner.”said RCMP Deputy Commissioner Curtis Zablocki..Al Kemmere, president, Rural Municipalities of Alberta, said they will be happy to chip in..“Rural crime has been an ongoing issue in Alberta in recent years, and rural municipalities recognize they need to share in the costs of the solutions to support safer communities,” he said..The plan should see RCMP numbers in rural areas increase from 1,600 to about 1,900, and will also add members to specialized RCMP units that dismantle organized crime and drug trafficking and investigate auto and scrap metal theft..New civilian positions will assist with administrative tasks and investigative support..The new funding model will see communities contribute 10 per cent of policing costs in 2020, followed by 15 per cent in 2021, 20 per cent in 2022 and 30 per cent in 2023..dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com.Twitter:@Nobby7694
Hundreds of extra Mounties are set to patrol rural Alberta, the government announced Wednesday..A new police funding model by the government will see $286 million injected over five years for 500 new officers and civilian positions, in what the province says is the biggest increase in RCMP funding since the Great March West..A new cost-sharing partnership will see small and rural communities begin to pay a portion of frontline policing costs, bringing them into line with larger communities and cities..Under the cost-sharing terms in the Provincial Police Service Agreement (PPSA), Alberta pays 70 per cent of policing costs and the federal government covers the remaining 30 per cent..The government says with the additional investment from municipalities starting in 2020, the federal share of the PPSA will increase as well meaning a total increase in rural police funding of more than $286 million over five years..The government is also creating a new Alberta Police Advisory Board, where municipal leaders will work with police to make sure local needs are heard and met, the government said in a release..“Ensuring Albertans are safe, secure, and protected in their communities goes to the heart of who we are as a government,” said Doug Schweitzer, Minister of Justice and Solicitor General..“We want to ensure we fund law enforcement in an equitable and sustainable way that will ensure we have more police in our communities. With this new police funding model, we are making the single largest investment in rural policing since the March West and delivering on our promise to enhance public safety.”.Jason Nixon, Minister of Environment and Parks and MLA for Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre, said crime has affected many in his riding..“It is an issue that is incredibly personal to me. All Albertans deserve to feel safe in their own homes and confident that they will not fall victim to violent or property crime. This new police funding model will provide increased security and certainty for rural Albertans, and value for taxpayer dollars,” Nixon said..High ranking RCMP officials welcomed the news..“The Government of Alberta has made an unprecedented investment in their police service, and we are ready to deliver on that commitment. The funding model announced will allow the Alberta RCMP to put additional resources where they are needed most immediately – on the frontline in your detachments, protecting your backyards and your farmyards, pushing back crime in a sophisticated and focused manner.”said RCMP Deputy Commissioner Curtis Zablocki..Al Kemmere, president, Rural Municipalities of Alberta, said they will be happy to chip in..“Rural crime has been an ongoing issue in Alberta in recent years, and rural municipalities recognize they need to share in the costs of the solutions to support safer communities,” he said..The plan should see RCMP numbers in rural areas increase from 1,600 to about 1,900, and will also add members to specialized RCMP units that dismantle organized crime and drug trafficking and investigate auto and scrap metal theft..New civilian positions will assist with administrative tasks and investigative support..The new funding model will see communities contribute 10 per cent of policing costs in 2020, followed by 15 per cent in 2021, 20 per cent in 2022 and 30 per cent in 2023..dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com.Twitter:@Nobby7694
