The recent comments from RCMP Staff Sergeant Camille Habel, who decried traditional values as a path to extremism, should be fuel for every Albertan committed to building a provincial police force that truly reflects our values, not Ottawa’s vision of what we should become.Habel’s statement, framing beliefs rooted in community and local culture as potentially dangerous, highlights a growing disconnect between the RCMP and the values that Albertans hold dear. This underscores the urgent need for a police force that is accountable to our province and its distinct way of life.Alberta has witnessed troubling patterns of RCMP overreach — from door-kicking in Fort McMurray to aggressive tactics during the 2013 floods in High River, to politically charged allegations against the Coutts Four. These aren’t isolated incidents but symptoms of an institution that has become increasingly disconnected from Alberta’s unique needs. The RCMP, which answers to Ottawa rather than the provincial government, has strayed from the values it was once founded to protect..The RCMP wasn’t always like this. Originally a force with deep Western roots, it was created to maintain peace in a vast and rugged frontier. Today, however, the RCMP is centralist, politicized, and increasingly at odds with the values it once upheld.This is why creating an Alberta Provincial Police (APP) isn’t just symbolic. It’s a constitutional right under Section 92 of the Constitution Act, 1867, already exercised by Quebec and Ontario. Alberta can — and should — do the same. A provincial police force would be accountable to the province, reflect local values, and serve Albertans’ unique needs rather than those of Ottawa.But we must be clear: geography alone won’t solve the problem. If the new force carries the same institutional DNA as the RCMP, it will still lack the local understanding and trust that Albertans deserve..The case of Jeremia and Dominic Leussink five years ago shows what’s at stake.The brothers, farmers near Didsbury, were going about their business. After a 16-hour shift, 18-year-old Jeremia cut across the ditch, a routine practice for farmers moving equipment — to reach the road, not realising a police checkstop was in place. The Alberta Sheriffs, insensitive to the farming practice, insisted on enforcing a violation and didn’t show restraint. They dragged him from the tractor, slammed him to the ground, and punched him in the neck and face. Dominic, who arrived later, was arrested trying to protect the equipment. The charges were eventually dropped but not before severe damage was done.The unfortunate event highlights the need for an Alberta police force to be rooted in Alberta culture. Alberta is not a generic province, and even Alberta Sheriffs unfamiliar with rural ways can turn abusive. Our motto, “strong and free,” is more than branding. We value private property as the cornerstone of liberty, and we cherish freedoms — of speech, worship, association, and dissent.These values are essential to life in this province, not ornamental. In contrast, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms omits property rights, reflecting a more centralized, Laurentian worldview. This ideological divide between Alberta and the federal government underscores the need for a police force that aligns with our values..Habel’s remarks, labelling “traditional values” as a path to extremism, are not fringe — they reflect the growing establishment perspective. This shift directly impacts policing in Alberta, creating an urgent need for reform.To chart a different course, Alberta’s police force must be trained differently. It must instill core virtues at the ground level.First, Alberta’s police force must consist of officers who not only patrol the land but belong to it. Second, training must focus on independent judgment, not rote compliance. Third, the force must pursue real crime, not ideological ghosts. Fourth, it must be accountable to Albertans, not bureaucratic fads or external frameworks. Finally, it must protect Alberta’s culture: our commitment to freedom, property rights, and a government that serves, rather than rules, its citizens.Alberta cannot afford to send officers to federal academies that instill a diluted worldview. A curriculum rooted in Alberta’s culture and history is essential. It will form the foundation of a legitimate provincial force. The Ministry of Public Safety must prioritize establishing the right institutional DNA..We aren’t alone in facing these challenges. The Texas Rangers, though not perfect, offer a valuable comparison. Historically, they were embedded in the culture they served, answering to Texans, not federal fashions. Their authority came from the land upward, not from bureaucratic command downward.Their ethos, captured in the saying “One riot, one Ranger,” was about competence, courage, and direct accountability — not swagger. They didn’t just enforce the law; they protected a way of life because they were part of it.That’s the institutional culture Alberta must create: one where policing defends community, liberty, and order — not a tool of political engineering designed elsewhere. We need a police force that serves Alberta first, not a bureaucracy in a new uniform.If done right, the Alberta Provincial Police will serve as a shield against federal overreach, cultural drift, and the creeping conformism of federal institutions. If done poorly, it will be the modern RCMP in a fresh uniform — still top-down, still alien, still suspect.Alberta cannot afford to get this wrong. This is our moment to define a police force that works for us — rooted in our values and accountable to our people. Anything less would be a missed opportunity.Marco Navarro-Genie is vice-president of research at the Frontier Centre for Public Policy and co-author, with Barry Cooper, of Canada’s COVID: The Story of a Pandemic Moral Panic (2023).
