Province investing $6 Million for Indigenous and Municipal Police Transition Study Grants

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The Alberta NDP, meanwhile, says its plan will improve public safety and better address the root causes of social disorder by ensuring properly-funded police forces are working together as a team with community and social service providers to make a meaningful impact, specifically in the downtown cores of Calgary and Edmonton.

“Everyone in Alberta has the right to be safe,” said Alberta NDP Justice Critic Irfan Sabir. “This requires a commitment to diversity and to strong community engagement and leadership. Today’s social problems are getting more complex so our solutions must be more comprehensive.

“We will work with municipalities to hire 150 police officers and we will pair these officers with 150 social workers, mental health workers, addictions counsellors, and community outreach workers as a part of integrated teams. Three hundred frontline partners, working together with a focus on safety and support.”

“If an Alberta NDP government is elected, we will reverse these cuts. We will invest in better policing and stronger communities,” said Sabir.

The Alberta NDP’s commitment to public safety and integrated policing will:

• Restore $32 million in municipal police funding, to cover the bulk of the cost of hiring:
  • 150 officers in Calgary, Edmonton and other centres, including Lethbridge, Red Deer, St. Albert, Sherwood Park, Spruce Grove, Fort McMurray and elsewhere.
  • 150 social workers, mental health workers, addictions counsellors, Indigenous-led outreach, and community outreach workers as a part of integrated teams.
  • Direct resources to enhance teams already established, like 911/211 co-location, Indigenous teams and culturally appropriate and trauma informed outreach. This includes the DOAP team in Calgaryand the COTT team in Edmonton.
  • Support civilian oversight and community liaisons to ensure good metrics, reporting, and community involvement.
  • Support and grow partnerships with ethnic and multicultural communities to prevent crime, as well as social welfare service providers, given they have a proven track record of providing assistance.
  • Provide wrap-around supports and support community agencies in areas such as health, mental health, housing, harm reduction, addictions treatment, and access to training and employment to address the roots of crime.
• Keep the RCMP, and Invest in specialized Rural Crime Reduction Units to target and shutter crime and organized crime in rural communities. An initial $10-million investment will be made to fulfill this commitment.
• Hire more probation officers and invest in post-release programs to stop repeat and prolific offenders.
• Establish a long-term agreement with municipalities to support: stable and predictable police funding and an increased use of integrated police-community service teams; Indigenous partnerships; and provincial accountability for services such as affordable housing.

(With files from rdnewsNOW)