Redcliff councillor has concerns with provincial police force proposal

Justice Minster Kaycee Madu touted a new report from PricewaterhouseCoopers, saying he’s confident the government could find the money to fund a new provincial force.

“We believe a made-in-Alberta police force is worth serious consideration,” Madu said on Friday.

Madu held a town hall meeting with residents of Cypress County and Redcliff earlier this year, during which he discussed the province’s interest in a new Alberta police force.

But Redcliff town councillor Cathy Crozier says the province’s ideas don’t seemed to change much from last July’s meeting.

“There’s a lot of questions. So ultimately how much is it going to cost? Are we going to have to raise taxes? It is coming across a bit as this is ‘what we’re going to do.’ There’s no, at this point, ‘what do you guys think of this idea?'” Crozier said.

The new study finds savings in the hundreds of millions of dollars will be made after transitional costs

Crozier, who served five years as an RCMP member, wonders what would happen to the town’s new detachment building

She also doesn’t share the justice minister’s concerns about the frequent transfer of RCMP officers in and out of communities.

“When you transfer people in you get new thoughts, new ideas, new processes,” Crozier said.

Madu says there is a demand for change to policing and believes a provincial police force would be more responsive to the needs of rural communities.

But Crozier’s concerns remain and she would prefer the status quo with policing to remain.

“I don’t think it’s going to save us any money. I think it’s going to cost us more,” Crozier said.

by Darren Rathwell

Redcliff councillor has concerns with provincial police force proposal

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