Opposition mounting to provincial police force bill
By Alejandra Pulido-Guzman - Lethbridge Herald on April 12, 2025.
LETHBRIDGE HERALDapulido@lethbridgeherald.com
The UCP government’s plans for a new provincial police force are being met with concern by the opposition NDP and the National Police Federation.
Earlier this week the Government of Alberta introduced Bill 49, announcing new steps towards the creation of an independent provincial police service. The NPF shared in a statement that it’s deeply concerned that the Government of Alberta is pushing forward with a costly, unproven provincial police model, this time under a new name, without transparency, consultation, or a clear financial plan.
Kevin Halwa, regional director of the NPF Prairie region, says introducing Bill 49 feels like the second chorus of the same song.
“The UCP government is not listening to Albertans,” says Halwa. “We have done multiple polls and they show very little appetite for a new police service, as they are very happy with the service provided by the RCMP.”
He points out other polls indicate that taxpayers will be happier with properly funding the RCMP and providing them with the resources needed instead of creating a new police service all together.
According to the NPF, rather than investing in the nearly 3,500 RCMP members who provide police services across 99 per cent of Alberta, the province is choosing to funnel taxpayer dollars into the new Independent Agency Police Service (IAPS), a project Albertans and municipalities have already rejected.
In 2021, when a cost analysis was done regarding the Alberta provincial police service, it had a start-up cost of $372 million, plus an additional $164 million each year in operating costs. This was in 2021, before record inflation and rising operational expenses. With Alberta now projecting a deficit exceeding $5 billion announced in Budget 2025, Halwa says it’s fiscally irresponsible to pursue a politicized project that undertakes a major restructuring of public safety without a detailed cost analysis or public mandate.
“They are suggesting it will be a secondary separate agency to assist, but where it ends, who knows. That is a question that has yet to be answered by the provincial government.”
The NPF shared data based on known policing reviews and transition estimates, on how much it will cost to convert roughly 600 sheriffs into fully trained police officers.
• Salary upgrades: $29.36M (to match First Class Constable salaries)
• Training: $5.4M (to meet Alberta Policing Standards)
• Uniforms, gear, and pistols per officer: $7.8M
• New or retrofitted vehicles: $140,000 each (fully outfitted police vehicles)
• Body-worn cameras: $1.8M
• Infrastructure upgrades: Estimated at $32M from the failed Alberta provincial police service (building upgrades, leases, and related costs)
• Other costs: Significant costs for upgraded IT/IM, dispatch systems, legal services and indemnification, specialized equipment and vehicles, oversight, and administrative support
That’s only a partial list of estimated costs. There is no clarity on whether these costs will be borne provincially or downloaded into municipalities.
NPF says the province often touts the Grande Prairie transition as a success, but fails to mention the $9.4 million in provincial funding, with a promise of more in the future, was provided to support that transition. That amount isn’t guaranteed to other municipalities.
Recent Pollara Strategic Insights polling from June 2024 confirmed that 77 per cent of Albertans in RCMP-served communities remain satisfied with the policing services they receive, 86 per cent of all Albertans want to retain the RCMP and 87 per cent want a detailed accounting of the costs and impacts prior to any changes.
Every dollar spent on restructuring is a dollar taken from frontline services like crime prevention, enforcement, and victim support, says the NPF.
David Shepherd, NDP shadow minister for Public Safety and Emergency Services says that with Bill 49, the UCP government is trying to bring through the back door what Albertans already told them they didn’t want through the front door.
“What we have is a very politically motived plan from the minister and the premier to force this through their agenda to continue to pick fights with Ottawa,” says Shepherd.
He calls it a costly political stunt with no consultation that has been rejected multiple times and the UCP refuses to listen.
“This is a government that is far more interested in their own political interests than they are in doing what’s best for Albertans.”
He says Mike Ellis, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services, didn’t talk to Alberta sheriffs, who are the officers the government wants to use to create the provincial police force, and has not been talking to municipal leaders.
“Pretty much everyone is saying they have been blind-sided by Bill 49,” says Shepherd.
Shepherd spoke against Bill 49 during the April 10 session of the Legislature and said Ellis was “out of touch” with his plan to use Alberta sheriffs to staff provincial police force.
“But sheriffs say he didn’t talk to them, the sheriff branch officer association says Bill 49 quote ‘could have significant negative impacts on the Alberta sheriff officers, splitting half of them into provincial police force could jeopardize vital services, hurt public trust and actually reduce public safety,'” said Shepherd.
After that he said to Ellis that frontline officers are key to keeping communities safe.
“Don’t you think you should talk to them before you start making drastic changes to their jobs?” asked Shepherd.
Ellis denied the allegations as false and said government wants to support the training, pay, and funding.
“We want those who are performing police-like functions to be treated like police officers, which is why we are doing Bill 49 Mr. Speaker,” said Ellis.
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The UCP is once again proceeding with an action that the majority of Albertan do no support. This started with the Sheriff’s being given enforcement responsibilities previously held by the RCMP, city police and border guards. I liken this to Smith starting her personal police force to enforce her questionable policies and protect her when she is sentenced to jail.
**when she is sentenced to jail**
It is implied that she has broken the criminal code when it is said that she will go to jail. Have you got evidence?
Declaring that she has committed a crime when she has not can lead to criminal charges against you and possibly a civil lawsuit! Careful!
check out the law Sheran: Yes, in Canada, you can criticize a politician — including saying you believe they might end up in jail — as long as you don’t cross the line into defamation (spreading false statements that damage someone’s reputation).
Here’s the breakdown:
So, saying “This politician might end up in jail if they’re investigated” based on news reports or ongoing scandals? That’s probably fine. Saying “This politician is a criminal” without evidence? That could be risky.
That would be up to the courts to decide! By implying that Premier Smith is going to be sentenced to jail, implies she is a criminal! Incarceration comes from criminal charges! Again – where is the evidence!
In Canada, publicly and falsely stating that a public official is a criminal and going to jail can lead to criminal charges, primarily under the offenses of defamatory libel and public mischief. While libel requires proof of knowledge that the statement is false, public mischief focuses on the intent to mislead.
Defamatory Libel:
Public Mischief:
In summary, while not all false statements are criminal, publicly and falsely stating that a public official is a criminal and facing jail time carries significant legal risks in Canada, including charges for libel, public mischief, and potentially other offenses, as well as civil liability.
Defamatory Libel
Definition of newspaper
297 In sections 303, 304 and 308, newspaper means any paper, magazine or periodical containing public news, intelligence or reports of events, or any remarks or observations thereon, printed for sale and published periodically or in parts or numbers, at intervals not exceeding thirty-one days between the publication of any two such papers, parts or numbers, and any paper, magazine or periodical printed in order to be dispersed and made public, weekly or more often, or at intervals not exceeding thirty-one days, that contains advertisements, exclusively or principally.
Marginal note:Definition
Marginal note:Publishing
299 A person publishes a libel when he
Punishment of libel known to be false
300 Every person who publishes a defamatory libel that they know is false is guilty of
Nice to see Smith’s lawyer is monitoring this site😂. She seems to interject lawyers into any investigation or conflict that might expose her as a criminal and send her to jail. There I said it again so scurry off and report to her.
Why don’t you to watch your cartoons and let the adults talk! What are you, 8 years old!
As I understand it, the contracts with the RCMP for provinces, municipalities, Indigenous communities,etc., ends in 2032 and it is under recommendations by Public Safey Canada that those who contract services from the RCMP should consider transitioning to their own policing, due to the RCMP evolving to meet the needs of the changing world, so they can focus on meeting those higher priority needs, by specializing for them. The new model focus is on transitioning to independent provincial and municipal police services and that comes from the federal government!
This is not the UCP forcing an independent police force on us, but preparing for what the Liberal-NDP coalition government has suggested should be done to improve the RCMP service.
Read this from the federal website please for a better understanding:
https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/2025-mdrn-rcmp-grc/index-en.aspx
“Finally, Canada’s role in supporting provinces in their delivery of policing services must evolve. The federal government should be committed to working closely with Provinces to support a transition away from contract policing, while maintaining strong interoperability with federal policing. The expiration of current Police Services Agreements in 2032 presents the first opportunity for implementing this next phase of policing in Canada. The work to define provincial needs and solutions should begin now. The Provinces have the needed expertise and knowledge of their jurisdictions and community safety needs – and should be on a path to fully exercise their responsibilities over policing. They are best placed to define their own policing models, including interactions with the social services and programs that they deliver, with a view to better outcomes and service delivery for communities. These are complex and challenging processes. Ultimately federal resources should focus on delivering the federal mandate to significantly enhance RCMP capacity to address federal challenges.“
It is not the UCP forcing a provincial police force on us! It is trying to follow recommendations and preparing for what the feds are planning.
I cannot believe who gullible people are to listen to the NDP hype to destroy the UCP credibility, especially when there is not a provincial election coming for 3 more years! Do we have to listen to this garbage for that long? Don’t we have enough political drama to listen to without the NDP drama queens stirring the pot? I just cannot believe the garbage media is putting out now!
Let me remind you that this is what the federal Liberal-NDP coalition came up with, not the UCP! Please read the information on the Government of Canada website and try to get informed!
Agree say what. Most other comments are rhetoric, lack of knowledge and dislike for the current government. Here is a good source of information. Gary is dead on in the later chapters about the RCMP becoming a federal force only.
https://books.google.ca/books/about/Under_Cover.html?id=C5veEAAAQBAJ&source=kp_book_description&redir_esc=y
What exactly is there to like about this corrupt govt? Most everything Smith has touched has turned to crap.
You just proved my point
The RCMP decision comes from the federal government, not the UCP! What part of that do you not understand!
i suppose an alberta force assembled in the image of smitty and ucp stalwarts will at least ensure there will be only two sexes, that govt corruption and breaking election laws will continue to not be prosecuted, nd that we are all set to move ahead with our national force when alberta separates.
You just proved my point.
The only point u make is the one on your head.
Classic. Read the book
How childish! Grow up!
You are wasting your time trying to provide the truth to these NDP brainwashed, hateful people who do not or will do any research but attack anyone who supports the truth.
They believe they are going to bring down the UCP by commenting on this platform and that if they attack people who state the truth, they win and it is false. The lack wisdom and knowledge and it appears that this is just not on this forum, but in the protests, where they write on the sidewalk in front of Lethbridge East MLA’s that Smith is a Nazi.
They are getting out of hand, along with the young university kid, S.L. who has some developmental issues, and doesn’t recognize what is right from wrong in many cases! It is sad when a party is so desparate for power that they use hatred, bullying and disinformation just to be elected, but that appears where we seem to be now in society. Anger, hatred and divisiveness abounds!
You cannot win and it isn’t worth the effort Buckwheat!
Agree. Blinded by their ideology. Here is the latest.
Big news out of Edmonton – the Alberta government has tabled legislation that would allow the province to create a new, independent police service.
If passed, this new agency would allow municipalities across Alberta to opt out of the RCMP and instead rely on a locally controlled provincial police service, staffed in part by Alberta sheriffs.
While this may not be a full Alberta Police Service just yet, make no mistake – this is a significant and serious step toward independence in policing.
For years, we’ve been advocating for Alberta to stop outsourcing its policing to Ottawa.
We’ve argued that a strong, self-governing province must have full control over its justice system, just like Ontario and Quebec do.
And we’ve warned that continuing to rely on the RCMP – a federal agency that answers to Ottawa, not to Albertans – puts both our autonomy and our public safety at risk.
This latest development shows that those arguments are starting to gain real traction.
This move is long overdue – and it’s no coincidence.
Our research, advocacy, and your support have kept this issue front and centre.
And, while we’re thrilled to see a key part of the Free Alberta Strategy taking shape, there’s also another reason this is so important.
We need to prepare for a future in which Alberta may not even have the option to continue relying on the RCMP.
That’s because the RCMP’s days in frontline contract policing could be numbered.
A federal review of the RCMP’s role is currently underway, and there’s growing momentum in Ottawa to remove the RCMP from day-to-day policing in provinces and municipalities entirely.
Even the RCMP themselves have admitted they’re struggling to meet their responsibilities under existing contracts.
In other words, even if Alberta wanted to keep the RCMP, the RCMP might soon choose to leave us behind.
We need to begin building capacity now, with a made-in-Alberta policing solution that reflects our priorities, our values, and our communities.
And if Ottawa decides in 2032 there will be cutting the service to provinces and communities, many are going to be caught off guard and scrambling trying to replace their policeforce last minute in a world where finding people who are qualified and meet the requirements is very hard. Recruiting is a problem not just for police, but for most of the job sector due to all the boomers retiring and leaving a large hole to fill.
But the opposition fails to see this and blindly leads their sheep down the path of ignorance unfortunately! Just as they have tried using the Alberta Pension as a weapon to discredit the UCP, saying the UCP are going to force it on us!
The sheep scream that loud from the hilltops . . . LOL . . . but fail to read the Act that clearly states there needs to be a majority in a referendum that states they want to opt out of CPP and go to the APP. It is so sad that it is hilarious!
They need a petition with 600,000 signatures just for the referendum, and can barely get 50,000 from across the province, so that is never going happen! This is the NDP propaganda machine and it is full of disinformation!
Ron White said it best!
“But let me tell you something, folks: You can’t fix stupid. There’s not a pill you can take; there’s not a class you can go to. Stupid is forever.”