Small communities, like Fort Macleod, facing rising policing costs

Like many smalltown Alberta communities, Fort Macleod is looking at a huge jump in its share of RCMP policing costs.

Under a new formula introduced last month, the town could see its current annual payment of just over $262,000 escalate to over $777,000 in five short years.

Councillor Shawn Patience lays the increase squarely on the Province…

“This is the province downloading the cost of policing onto the municipalities and that is something that I think should be concerning to us,” Patience told his council colleagues during a Commitee of the Whole meeting Tuesday.