National Police Federation calls on Province of Alberta to share findings of $2 million PwC report on provincial police proposal

EDMONTON, AB, April 29, 2021 /CNW/ -The National Police Federation, representing around 3,500 RCMP Members in Alberta, is calling on the Province to share details of a $2 million report by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC (PwC) considering a potential transition from the Alberta RCMP to a provincial police service.

The report, due April 30, 2021, will consider operational requirements, processes, and potential costs for creating a provincial police service as well as "whether a dedicated provincial police service is in the best interest of Albertans."

The NPF is calling on government to share the details of this new report so Albertans can make their own informed determination of the costs, risks, and benefit of such a transition.

"We know that the federal government currently provides around $160 million in funding each year toward the RCMP in Alberta. These funds would be forfeited should a transition to a provincial police service occur, and Alberta taxpayers would need to absorb the difference, plus millions of dollars in as-yet undetermined transition costs," said Brian Sauvé, President, National Police Federation. "We expect that government will review and consider the PwC report through the lens of their previous public commitments and publish the full report along with a feasibility study and other key considerations."

Minister of Justice and Solicitor General Kaycee Madu has already publicly committed that the Government of Alberta will only pursue a provincial police service if it enhances community policing, increases the level of service, and does not impose additional costs onto municipalities (and, therefore, taxpayers). The Minister also committed to making the report public, and to ensuring all Albertans are heard on this issue in a fair, transparent, and democratic process.

Pollara Strategic Insights conducted a survey for the NPF in October 2020, interviewing 1,300 rural and urban Alberta residents online and by phone for a relative reliability of +/-2.7%.

The survey found:

• 70% of Albertans province-wide have a favourable impression of RCMP officers, rising to 78% in communities served by RCMP.
• When asked to choose from a list of "Fair Deal Panel" measures to improve Alberta's place in Canada, establishing a provincial police service was the lowest priority with only 25% initial support – 75 % indicated this would not help at all.
• 81% of residents in RCMP-served communities are satisfied or very satisfied with RCMP policing.
• The already-low support for a transition dropped from 29% to only 21% when participants learned about the loss of the 30% federal subsidy tied to RCMP services, and
• 70% of respondents oppose (47% strongly) such a transition.

The NPF has been raising awareness of this proposal and providing more information to Albertans through www.keepalbertarcmp.ca and a Facebook page which have generated more than 33,000 letters to government representatives from concerned Albertans.

About the National Police Federation:

The National Police Federation (NPF) was certified to represent ~20,000 RCMP Members serving across Canada and internationally in the summer of 2019. The NPF is the largest police labour relations organization in Canada; the second largest in North America and is the first independent national association to represent RCMP Members.

The NPF is focused on improving public safety in Canada by negotiating the first-ever Collective Agreement for RCMP officers, and on increasing resources, equipment, training, and other supports for our Members who have been under-funded for far too long. Better resourcing and supports for the RCMP will enhance community safety and livability in the communities we serve, large and small, across Canada.

For more information:  https://npf-fpn.com/ and www.keepalbertarcmp.ca

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SOURCE National Police Federation

Media contact: Fabrice de Dongo, Manager, Media Relations, [email protected], [phone]

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