Photo Courtesy EverythingGP Staff

By Tanner Smith

Fully Operational in Five Years

Municipal Police Force coming to Grande Prairie

Mar 7, 2023 | 11:19 AM

After long deliberations that began early on Monday morning, City Council passed a vote to transition to a Municipal Police Force at around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday.

The decision is the first step in a long list to have the force fully operational in five years time.

Within this year, Council still needs to notify the federal government of their intentions, pass bylaws to create this police commission, seek approval from the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services to change policing models, and form the Municipal Police Force, along with hiring a Police Chief, and form a public commission.

City Council throughout the day listened to numerous delegations offering their opinions, facts, and lived experiences; even holding a vote to table the matter until March 20 at one point.

However, that vote was outnumbered and deliberations continued with Council finally making the vote.

IN THE COMMUNITY

'Compassionate Friends' offer peer support for bereaved in Medicine Hat

9h ago

POSTAL STRIKE

Donations to Medicine Hat non-profits drop over Canada Post strike

10h ago

IN THE COMMUNITY

Medicine Hat's Adopt-A-Rink program still seeking volunteers

18h ago

Mayor Jackie Clayton and the rest of the Council said they would like to thank residents for coming out and sharing their concerns and all of the Council looks forward to working with the community to address these issues and make Grande Prairie a safer place for everybody.

“In the transition plan, it was clearly identified that going forward there will be continued communication with our residents as we transition over the next five years, and we want to engage with the community, and we want them to be very knowledgeable. But the other part being, communication with the province, and what are expectations are, needs to be clear as well,” said Mayor Clayton

City Council did say a number of times key reasons why they did push this transition through, with some being:

• Provincial funding may or may not be there if they waited longer,
• A lack of figures and prices provided against the cost of the Municipal Police Force,
• Retention when it comes to officers, as Grande Prairie officer turnaround is around two to five years.

However, Councillor Gladys Blackmoore identified one of the larger issues council had, “it was interesting to hear Captain Zublocki talk about the things he’s initiating now at the provincial level when I can remember him having the same conversation with me in 2005, and none of that has been implemented yet. He’s a very forward-thinking officer, and I respect him completely, I wish the system he works in was more flexible.”

Blackmoore added she and the rest of Council appreciates everyone who did come out and express their concerns, as she said “it only further educates everyone on these issues as well as opens that line of communication up further between residents and the constituents that represent them.”

Mayor Clayton added seeing all the support was great, even the 3,474 letters sent from the Peace Country Progressive Alliance.She said believes if people want to be as engaged as they can be, it starts at the polls.

”You identified earlier in regards to the number of people that actually sent us emails, and comparing it to a By-election, I think that the reality of clicking a button and sending an email, compared to actually going out to vote, aren’t really comparable at all, I think that being engaged in your community and coming out to vote is your most important priority if you want to be engaged in what the municipality does with their elected officials.”

In the 2022 By-Election, only 2,422 ballots were cast.

Soon Council will begin all the necessary steps of putting this force together, which includes a public commission – which must be civilian-led, with the council hoping voices are local and diverse, leading to a safer community for everyone.

This will be the first transition from RCMP to a Municipal Police Force in Alberta, since 1956 in Camrose.