The union for Alberta’s sheriffs says it was not consulted about a plan announced this week for a new police service to do much of their current work. deal with most of the tasks they presently handle.
The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees says it was caught off guard by a bill the United Conservative government introduced Wednesday to create an independent police force.
“Sheriffs want to ensure their rights will be protected and that they will receive proper support in their duties,” Bobby-Joe Borodey, the union’s vice-president, said in a news release Thursday.
“All of our law-enforcement members are passionate about their work and keeping Albertans safe. They deserve to be treated with respect, and that means they need to be given reassurances.”
Borodey said this includes knowing whether their duties will change, if they’ll be paid appropriately and how much more training they would need.
Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis stated at a news conference Wednesday that the new police force would collaborate with existing municipal and First Nations police forces and the RCMP.
Ellis said peace officers with the Alberta Sheriffs have fewer powers than full-fledged police officers but have been increasingly doing the same work, and that it naturally follows they should operate under similar oversight and legislation.
Ellis was firm that no decision has been made on replacing the Alberta RCMP.
However, the National Police Federation, representing 20,000 Mounties, expressed “deep concern and confusion” over Alberta laying the groundwork for a new independent police agency.
“Alberta has a substantial policing infrastructure through the Alberta RCMP, yet the government has not raised funding for our members to keep up with population growth and evolving crime in the province,” federation president Brian Sauvé said in a news release.
“For several years, our members in Alberta have been caught in the middle of a highly politicized debate on policing.
“Rather than legislation, bureaucracy and more government spending to explore alternative policing services, it’s time to invest in the highly trained, professional provincial policing service accountable to Albertans: the Alberta RCMP.”
The Alberta RCMP said it needs more time before it comments. Calgary police Chief Mark Neufeld, speaking as president of the Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police, said the association is also looking forward to hearing more details.
The president of Alberta Municipalities said he’s looking forward to learning more about how the plan will work, but is disappointed there were no consultations with his group’s members.
“We’d like to know how much it’s going to cost. Where is the funding coming from? When’s it going to be implemented?” asked Wetaskiwin Mayor Tyler Gandam.
“We’ve got a ton of questions and I think a lot of them could have been answered had they consulted municipalities.”
Gandam said an overwhelming number of the municipalities were supportive of keeping the RCMP in place and it’s unclear how the new agency will help improve public safety.
“I don’t think changing the uniform or the badge or the sign on the door necessarily increases community safety,” he said.
Gandam stated that many calls to the police involve mental health and addictions, so perhaps the funds could be better used for hiring social workers, counselors and other support.
“I would have preferred to see an investment in something like that.”
Ellis mentioned that there is no set timeframe for establishing the new force.
The sheriffs in Alberta currently handle tasks such as court security and inspecting commercial vehicles.
They have recently taken on additional responsibilities including pursuing fugitives, dealing with impaired and distracted driving cases, and assisting the police in maintaining order in downtown Edmonton and Calgary.
The United Conservative government in Alberta has been working for an extended period to reform the police to more effectively address crime, especially in the downtown areas of Edmonton and Calgary and rural regions.
Under former premier Jason Kenney and current Premier Danielle Smith, the UCP investigated and strongly advocated for replacing the RCMP with a provincial police force.
However, the concept encountered opposition — including from municipalities — due to concerns about expenses, execution and staffing, while public opinion polls consistently indicated that a majority of Albertans did not support a new provincial force.
In the past year or so, Smith’s government has remained quiet about replacing the RCMP.
