(Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

Fort Macleod withdraws from Community Peace Officer program due to rising policing costs

Feb 25, 2020 | 10:41 AM

FORT MACLEOD, AB – Effective immediately, the Town of Fort Macleod has withdrawn from its agreement to have Community Peace Officers (CPO).

In a media release, the town’s Chief Administrative Officer Sue Keenan says this was not a decision that was made lightly and is difficult when the livelihoods of staff would be impacted.

“Given the changes implemented regarding the CPO program and the fact that small communities will now be forced to pay for policing costs puts an unnecessary burden on smaller municipalities to ensure basic service levels are being provided in all areas for the benefit of our taxpayers.”

The provincial government announced in December 2019 that they are bolstering funding to rural policing by $382-million, but communities will have to pay a larger percentage of their total policing costs.

In 2020, they will continue to pay 10 per cent, but that will rise to 15 per cent in 2021, 20 per cent in 2022, and 30 per cent in 2023.

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Currently, Keenan told LNN that they pay $226,000 per year for their two CPOs and to run the program.

By the time municipalities have to cover 30 per cent, that will add an additional $177,000 in cost per year.

There were 2,967 residents of Fort Macleod in 2016, according to the federal census. Keenan says the higher price tag simply did not make sense.

She took issue with the way the provincial government and the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA) conducted their review of municipal police forces last year.

Keenan claims they overestimated how many law enforcement personnel actually work in the field in several rural communities, and therefore, underestimated how many additional officers they would need.

For example, Fort Macleod RCMP has seven total members, but that includes a Sergeant and a Corporal who typically do not leave the detachment. Despite being short-staffed for at least the last five years and having fewer than five boots-on-the-ground officers, the province counted the town as having seven members.

“Of that $382-million-plus that they’ve added to the policing program, Fort Macleod will never see more boots on the ground – I guarantee it.”

Overall, Keenan called the provincial review “short-sighted”.

As of Monday, February 24, 2020, the town’s two CPOs have been permanently laid off.

The municipality is “endeavouring to have a Bylaw Officer in place for the Town of Fort Macleod by April 1, 2020.”

LNN has reached out to the Town of Fort Macleod for more details.