National Police Federation Responds to Grande Prairie Decision to Transition to a Municipal Police Service

GRANDE PRAIRIE, AB, March 7, 2023 /CNW/ - Following is a statement from Brian Sauvé, President, National Police Federation, regarding the City of Grande Prairie's decision to transition to a municipal police service:

"The majority Council decision to transition away from the Grande Prairie RCMP has been entirely politically motivated, when politics have no place in policing decisions.

This transition has been widely promoted and presented through rose-coloured glasses with little to no true consideration of overall transition costs, recruitment and retention, training, or technology and equipment – which we highlighted a little more than a week ago when we learned that Council had already signaled its intention to proceed a transition without proper consultation or resources. True fiscal responsibility requires a hard look at the potential issues and opportunities of such a significant transition, including the real-world experience of other jurisdictions.

We expressed our concerns and experience related to this proposed transition directly with the City of Grande Prairie, and highlighted the many benefits, services and supports Grande Prairie residents currently enjoy from the RCMP and out professional and dedicated Members who live and work in Grande Prairie.

We will now turn our attention to supporting our Grande Prairie Members to ensure they are respected and supported in the transition years ahead. While our Members will remain the police of jurisdiction for the foreseeable future, we will also hold the City and Council accountable for the public safety, transition timelines and budgets that they have committed to through this review and transition decision."

About the National Police Federation:

The National Police Federation (NPF) represents ~20,000 RCMP Members serving across Canada and internationally. It is the largest police labour relations organization in Canada and second largest in North America. We are focused on improving public safety in Canada for our Members and all Canadians by advocating for investment in policing and other related supports and services. This includes calling for required resourcing, equipment, and supports to enhance community safety and livability in the communities we serve, large and small, across Canada.

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

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SOURCE National Police Federation

Media contacts: Fabrice de Dongo, Manager, Media Relations, [email protected], [phone]; Sarah Kavanagh, Coordinator, Media Relations, [email protected], [phone]