By Chris Brown

Force recommended by Fair Deal Panel

Province chooses PwC to advise on provincial police force

Oct 7, 2020 | 9:48 AM

The concept of a potential provincial police service is in the hands of one of the world largest business advisory services.

The Government of Alberta announced today that PwC will provide an independent assessment and study of the recommendation made by the Fair Deal Panel in its report earlier this year.

Concerns about the RCMP expressed by Albertans to the Fair Deal Panel during consultations included:

• The force is overly bureaucratic
• RCMP members have a limited connection to the province
• Members are unable or unwilling to confront activists
• Heavy-handed enforcement of gun laws

The study will also consider operational requirements, processes and potential costs for creating a provincial police service.

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“Through the Fair Deal Panel, Albertans who are policed by the RCMP told their government that they want a provincial police service. Alberta’s government has an obligation to listen to those concerns and explore how a police force designed in Alberta – not Ottawa – would improve the safety and security of Albertans and their property,” said Justice Minister and Solicitor General Kaycee Madu in a statement. “Alberta’s government must make an informed choice, and this report will bring us one step closer to the panel’s recommendation. After a federal throne speech that ignored nearly all the legitimate concerns of Albertans, this an important part of getting a fair deal for Alberta, while limiting Ottawa’s reach into the province.”

The budget for the PwC analysis is $2 million and it is expected by April 30, 2021.