The province of Alberta has initiated the Alberta Sheriff Services in response to a lack of RCMP officers.
Recently, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith defended her position at the Alberta Municipalities Convention.
“The reason we are doing it is because the RCMP has not been able to fill the need we have,” said Smith. “We pay for 1911 officers, and they have four to five hundred vacancies; we can not allow for rural municipalities to be under-policed.”
They have trained their Sheriffs to the same level of policing as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Additionally, those services have started to be deployed across the province.
Mayor Gerald Aalbers said the City of Lloydminster continues to place its faith in the service and protection provided to our community by the RCMP.
“We know policing and public safety remains an important topic for many residents, which is why our municipality – in partnership with the RCMP – are constantly evaluating challenges and priorities around enforcement,” said Aalbers.
“Certainly, we would welcome discussion about any additional support the Government of Alberta is willing to provide to help us enhance safety in our community.”
RCMP response:
The Alberta RCMP released data stating Premier Smith’s numbers are wrong.
“In the interest of clarity, the Alberta RCMP has a total of 1,772 police officer positions within the provincial policing contract. Our current vacancy rate within provincial policing is 17.3 per cent or 306 positions, of those positions, 124 are currently unfilled,” stated the RCMP.
“The other 182 are officers who are not currently at work for a variety of reasons, including illness, maternity-related leave, and other special leave.”
At the same time, they share these numbers monthly with their provincial partners. Moreover, they recognize vacancy rate, recruiting, and retention, cause concerns for residents. Their newest recruiting efforts have resulted in a 77 per cent increase in applications over the last five years.
“The employees of the Alberta RCMP are fiercely proud of the policing services they provide to Albertans,” said Deputy Commissioner Rob Hill, Commanding Officer of the Alberta RCMP. “We are here to serve and protect Albertans, and we will continue to do so with dedication and integrity.”
In addition, they admit recruiting won’t solve the whole problem. They regularly consult with the communities they serve to review and improve how they provide services. The creation of the Alberta Sheriffs changes the province’s approach to addressing law enforcement gaps in rural areas. While the RCMP acknowledges recruitment challenges, they remain committed to serving Albertans.
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