I’ll start this by saying that I support the RCMP policing in Alberta 100%. They are a part of our culture and identity as a country. Given the recent results of the provincial referendum, I would say that the vast majority of Albertans are happy to have the RCMP here; myself included. However, there are a lot of things going on in this file that many aren’t aware of.

THE ISSUE

While it is simple to say we should continue contracting the RCMP here in Alberta, it may not be up to Alberta or any other province. The RCMP are ultimately run by the federal government. Following the Nova Scotia incident (which left 22 dead after a gunman impersonated an RCMP officer in 2020) the federal government and the federal ministry of Public Safety ended up having to answer for it. Because of this, the federal government started to reexamine its role in contracting the RCMP to the provinces. 

In 2023 Marco Mendicino, the then federal Minister of Public Safety, communicated to provincial ministers that come 2031 the RCMP may no longer be available for contracting. Instead, they would become more of a federal “FBI” type agency. Trudeau publicly echoed that shortly before he resigned, and Carney has not yet addressed it as far as I’m aware. That leaves us in a bit of a bind. Either party (the federal government or the province) can cancel the contract with two years notice.

THE POLITICS OF POLICING IN ALBERTA

The idea of Alberta creating its own police service has been a point of contention for decades. Typically, those opposed to the RCMP are unhappy with the idea that the federal government could direct the police to focus enforcement on certain policies. Firearm bans and registration are among those. 

Especially over the past seven years, Albertans have been pretty clear that they want to keep the RCMP, despite continual polling from the UCP. However, the communication by the federal government gave a sort of silent permission to set up a provincial police service anyway, just in case. The province proceeded with upgrading the Alberta Sheriffs to a police service rather than a more specialized peace officer role. This step would ultimately be necessary should the federal government cancel the RCMP's role in contract policing. 

To be fair, there are some issues with the RCMP when it comes to recruitment. They are very limited when it comes to the amount of officers they can train at once; particularly for a service that spans the country. Additionally, an old policy has been plaguing them which states that new recruits can be placed anywhere in Canada for a certain number of years. This hampers their ability to recruit people that would otherwise join the service because they have put down roots in a certain spot. I note that municipal services have a much easier time recruiting. 

This has caused a shortage of officers across Canada. In our case, that’s rural Alberta. I have been in meetings as a staffer where Minister Ellis was asked by several municipalities to find a way to bolster policing where the RCMP detachments were short-staffed. The Alberta Sheriffs have become that infill, with many areas doing studies about the best way forward for policing. While I support the move to supplement the RCMP to ensure adequate emergency response times, it has complicated the division on the issue further without clear communication as to why this occurred. 

In 2025 however, the UCP went too far. They introduced an amendment to the Public Safety Act that gave the Alberta Cabinet control over the commission that runs the Sheriffs. Essentially, the government has direct control over that police service. It’s dangerous, and it must be corrected. 

The separation of those pillars of our government is essential (Executive, Legislative, Judicial). Policing would fall under the law enforcement portion of judicial as a check to keep the government from going completely off the rails. It’s one thing to have the framework for a secondary police agency, or even a supplemental service in place which is prudent given the situation. It’s another thing entirely to take direct control over it.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

We must eliminate the UCP direction that gave government ministers control over the police commission overseeing the Alberta Sheriffs. They must be an independent service, and be able to investigate wrongdoing regardless of who is a suspect.

Much of where we go from here depends on the federal government, but it is important that we maintain an open line of communication. The province should be prepared for an end to the RCMP being contracted out, while advocating for the desires of the majority of Albertans; supporting the preservation of the RCMP as a contracted service.

Regardless of what happens, it is the responsibility of the province under the constitution to ensure policing services are available. The bottom line is that regardless of the uniform, if someone calls for police assistance then there must be a timely and appropriate response.

Let’s keep the RCMP as long as we can while ensuring frameworks are in place and public safety in assured.