UCP continues push for provincial police, but new leader will set agenda on divisive policy

Article content

Alberta’s United Conservative government is continuing to pitch a provincial police force to replace the RCMP, even as some leadership hopefuls question the merits of the proposal.

Ditching the Mounties in favour of an Alberta police service has remained a key policy push for Premier Jason Kenney and his Justice Minister Tyler Shandro.

It’s an unusual focus for a premier finishing out the final weeks of his term, said University of Calgary political science professor Lisa Young.

“This is pretty strange,” Young said.

“Under normal circumstances, a lame duck government like this wouldn’t be pushing forward on major initiatives, and certainly not initiatives that aren’t responses to some urgent situation.”

UCP members will choose a new leader Oct. 6, and that person will have a big say on Alberta’s policy agenda, including the future of community policing.

Postmedia asked the seven leadership hopefuls about their support for a provincial police force, and the role rural municipalities should play in the decision of whether to scrap the RCMP.

In a statement, Travis Toews said he believes there’s merit in exploring provincial policing. He said the RCMP has “a culture of risk-aversion and overly centralized decision,” and argued a provincial alternative could reduce bureaucracy and improve police culture.

“This is not, however, a policy I would implement on Day 1,” Toews said. “Before moving forward, I would ensure rural Albertans and municipal leaders ultimately support the decision.”

Rebecca Schulz said she wouldn’t pursue a provincial police service, saying it’s not supported by municipalities and arguing Alberta could better invest money for provincial policing into other initiatives to address rural crime and community safety.

Candidates also addressed the issue at a debate in Calgary on Thursday at the Alberta Municipalities annual meeting.

There, Danielle Smith said she “would want to move immediately with augmenting” RCMP policing, saying systemic changes are needed amid an influx of mental-health and addictions calls.

Brian Jean said, “I commit to not removing the RCMP from Alberta,” saying the current issue of rural crime is bigger than hiring more police officers.

Leela Aheer and Rajan Sawhney each said they don’t support a provincial police force, citing opposition from municipalities. Aheer called the lack of information on funding “bizarre,” while Sawhney said: “We’re trying to jump to a solution to a problem that has not been fairly articulated.”

Todd Loewen expressed his support for a provincial police force, but said municipalities shouldn’t be on the hook to foot the bill.

The UCP began floating the provincial policing idea in 2020, following a recommendation in a report from the Fair Deal Panel, which was tasked with finding ways to improve Alberta’s economic position and independence within Canada.

The province commissioned a PricewaterhouseCoopers report last year, which estimated costs of a policing transition to be at least $366 million, with a new provincial service possibly costing about $200 million more than what’s currently spent on the RCMP.

Shandro has argued that switching Alberta’s policing model will be necessary as Ottawa’s current 20-year funding deal with provinces for the RCMP ends in 2032, with his government anticipating the federal government will move away from funding contract policing in provinces.

The proposed policing change has failed to garner approval from municipalities, however.

Rural mayors have been vocal in their opposition to the proposal, with some speaking out on what they describe as a gap in consultation among those who are most familiar with community needs. The Rural Municipalities of Alberta passed a resolution at its spring convention calling on the province to improve existing RCMP operations rather than impose a provincial force.

A recent Pollara survey commissioned by the National Police Federation found 55 per cent of Albertans oppose switching from the Mounties to a provincial police service. However, support for the proposal was higher among people who live in communities currently served by the RCMP.

Young said it’s hard to predict the UCP’s direction after a new leader and premier is chosen. But she expects the proposed provincial police force will remain a hot topic, particularly if presumptive front-runner Smith wins, given how the idea aligns with her central platform thrust of increasing Alberta’s sovereignty within Confederation.

“This is different from (Smith’s proposed) Sovereignty Act, given it’s entirely constitutionally appropriate. It’s certainly within the purview of the provincial government to do this,” Young said.

“I think the dilemma of it is it doesn’t necessarily achieve the things its proponents want it to achieve. Having a provincial police force doesn’t really limit the influence of Ottawa over public policy in Alberta in any meaningful way.”

— With files from The Canadian Press

jherring@postmedia.com

Twitter: @jasonfherring