Alberta to give Grande Prairie $9.7M if city replaces RCMP with municipal officers
GRANDE PRAIRIE, AB – The Alberta government says it will give Grande Prairie $9.7 million if the city decides to replace its RCMP with a municipal police force.
Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis said Wednesday, February 22, 2023, that the money would flow to the city over two years for the costs associated with starting a local police service if the funding is approved in the United Conservative Party government’s upcoming budget.
“This is part of a paradigm shift that’s occurring in policing across Alberta,” said Ellis at a press conference.
“No longer will police services be seen and used as an arm of the state,” Ellis adds. “Rather, they must be an extension, or a reflection of the communities that they serve.”