Photo Courtesy Ross Lavigne

By Darren Rathwell

‘Keep RCMP Tour’ lands in Medicine Hat and Brooks

Jan 20, 2022 | 5:03 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – The “Keep RCMP Tour” is making the rounds in Alberta, with its latest stops in Medicine Hat and Brooks on Thursday.

The union representing RCMP members, the National Police Federation, is actively voicing their concerns with a proposal to replace the Mounties with a provincial police force, during a three-week tour of Alberta.

“There’s things Alberta can get a better deal on from Ottawa, no doubt in my mind, (but) policing’s not one of them,” Kevin Halwa, regional director for the NPF said.

But while the union is calling on the province to keep the mounties in place, they aren’t against systemic changes taking place.

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“We need a little bit more police, (and) we need a little bit more Crown prosecutors. We need more probation officers, more parole officers, all those things,” Halwa added.

A recent report claims up to $49 million could be saved by a provincial force. However, there’s concern Ottawa would no longer cover a third of policing costs like they do with the RCMP.

Halwa said, “whether you’re buying a jug of milk or buying a police service, having someone else pay 30 per cent of the price tag…. that’s nothing to be scoffed at.”

Redcliff town councillor Cathy Crozier too has concerns over what a new police force could mean, saying, “that’s going to be a huge hit to our budget.”

Crozier says about $300,000 is owed by Redcliff alone to RCMP members for back pay after it was discovered the officers weren’t paid at proper levels based on a previous agreement. Other communities also owe back pay, says Crozier, and questions remain over how it will be paid.

She also says municipal politicians from across Alberta spoke via Zoom Wednesday night about the police replacement plan, and she says participants had a number of concerns in common.

“Who’s going to do oversight? Where are they going to get the equipment from? Where are they going to get the (staff) from? How are we going to pay?” Crozier questioned.

A recent survey found 80 per cent of Albertans are satisfied with RCMP, and Crozier says there needs to be more public input on their potential replacement.

“It seems like everybody is saying, ‘no we don’t want a provincial police force, we’re happy with RCMP.'”

But even if there is more feedback on the proposal, which the province has said it plans to gather, Crozier doesn’t think it will change much.

“That’s just what I got from some of the other meetings I’ve been in, that it’s a done deal. There are other elected officials that feel the same way: that we’re going to be ignored and it’s just going to happen regardless.”

Crozier wants the public to express their views to politicians on replacing the mounties.

A request from CHAT News to Alberta’s justice ministry for comment was made, but has yet to be answered.