William Barclay is an award-winning political theorist and policy expertOn July 2, 2025, Premier Danielle Smith announced the creation of the Alberta Police Force, and Sat Parhar as its inaugural Chief of Police.Predictably, a chorus of left-wing pundits and politicians rushed to condemn the move as a populist stunt — a cynical attempt to fearmonger and further isolate Alberta from the Canadian federation.But the facts on the ground tell a different story..Over the past decade, the case for an Alberta police force has become not only persuasive, but urgent. Under the Liberal government in Ottawa, national security and public safety have deteriorated across Canada — and Alberta has felt the impact acutely.Crime rates have surged since 2015, when Justin Trudeau first formed government. Violent crime is up 39 per cent, homicide rates have reached a 30-year high, and Canada’s Violent Crime Severity Index (VCSI) is now at its highest point since 2007.In fact, the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, in its 2024 Report on the Criminal Justice System, concluded that under Liberal oversight, Canada’s justice system appears to have “given up on its core responsibilities.”Alberta has suffered disproportionately. In 2015, Alberta’s VCSI stood at 98.9. By 2023, it had climbed to 114 — now nearly 15 points higher than the national average..Meanwhile, Ottawa’s failure to secure the nation’s borders has allowed a steady influx of illegal migrants, extremists, and narcotics — especially fentanyl — to flow freely across Alberta’s border with the United States.Even the RCMP itself has admitted that it lacks the resources to fully meet its federal mandate, let alone police the provinces effectively. Its contract to provide policing in Alberta expires in 2032, and both federal and Alberta authorities have signalled that this arrangement may not be renewed in its current form..That decision cannot come soon enough.Albertans deserve a police force that reflects Alberta’s values — including personal liberty, individual responsibility, and religious freedom — principles that have come under increasing pressure from the progressive priorities of the federal government.The RCMP, as currently structured and directed, is no longer equipped to represent or protect the distinct needs of Alberta’s communities. Whether or not critics approve, a provincial police force has long been the logical next step in Alberta’s assertion of jurisdictional responsibility..Left-wing commentators can continue to accuse Premier Smith of populism. But what they call “populism” is better understood as democratic responsiveness — especially when Ottawa appears increasingly unresponsive to Albertans’ concerns about safety, justice, and basic governance.Since 2015, the federal government has displayed little concern for maintaining any real quality of life for Canadians, and even less for protecting Albertans from criminal activity.If Alberta continues to outsource its security to the federal government — and to the ideology that now dominates Ottawa — it will be Albertans who suffer the consequences: rising crime, overwhelmed courts, insecure borders, and a federal police force ill-suited to serve this province.The creation of the Alberta Police Force is not a break from Canada — it is a defence of Alberta, within a federation where each province has both the right and the duty to protect its people.William Barclay is an award-winning political theorist and policy expert. Follow him on Twitter/X @WillBarclayBBC.
