An Idea Whose Time Has Come

Yesterday’s Calgary Herald editorial came out in support of Alberta forming its own provincial police, provided that the cost is “not unreasonable.” Frankly, even if it were to cost more than it currently costs for contracting out the Canadian federal police, the autonomous exercise of an existing provincial right granted by the constitution does not have a price.

If cost were the only determinant, one might suggest that the provincial government already duplicates far too much to merit its own existence and cost: it would be far cheaper to get Ottawa to rule over us in all areas. Alberta has to send the mounties home to keep the right in Ottawa, and must create its own police when the current contract expires in 2012. Nothing short of that will live up to the provincial motto of “strong and free.”

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Calgary Herald
Published: Sunday, December 18, 2005

Ontario has its own provincial police force; so does Quebec. A report issued by Alberta’s solicitor general this month now suggests establishing a more unified special-constable force: Implemented in their entirety, its recommendations would effectively take the province half way to a provincial police force.

Instead, the province should consider going the whole way, in anticipation of the contract it has with the RCMP coming up for renewal in 2012.

From the perspective of the citizen, there is much to commend it. The question is whether those same citizens, in their role as taxpayer, would find the terms acceptable.

Eight of Alberta’s major municipalities with roughly two-thirds of its population — Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge, Camrose, Coaldale, Lacombe, Medicine Hat and Taber — have municipal police forces, operating under the provincial Police Act. Law enforcement in the rest of the province is in the hands of the RCMP.

The RCMP deploys more than 1,900 officers in Alberta; the eight municipal police forces employ 2,700.

In addition, there are the 2,800 special constables who were the subject of the report, employed by 275 agencies. They work for provincial government departments, such as those managing fish and wildlife regulations, or vehicle inspections, as well as employers as diverse as health authorities, post-secondary institutions and municipalities.

The Solicitor General Department’s report reflects a government desire to “standardize conduct, training, performance, use of force, and visual identity for all levels.”

In other words, a province-wide force. It would deal with enforcement of matters as picayune as stray animals, as common as speeding, as necessary as court and prisoner security, protection services for the premier and visiting dignitaries, and as potentially dangerous as arresting people on outstanding warrants or apprehending armed wildlife poachers.

Extending the functions of this force to those handled by the RCMP would require only a commitment to pay for the trained personnel to do it. The needed funds are spent on the RCMP contract which, under this year’s provincial budget, rose to $153 million to hire 100 additional officers.

Continuing the RCMP contract would be a pleasing recognition of the role its predecessor, the North West Mounted Police, played in the settlement of Alberta. But Alberta also had its own police force from 1917 to 1932. It may be time to do so again. Alberta Agenda proponents offer valid arguments, that constitutional powers unused tend to atrophy. These alone would justify a provincial police service — as long as it was not unreasonably expensive to operate.

However, if Alberta is to reorganize its special constable force, anyway, there would be economies of scale from a single screening process for recruits for the single police academy, co-ordination of communications systems, and in procurement.

Likewise, while not assuming existing municipal forces would be automatically rolled into a new provincial police, any reforms should enable seamless transferability of personnel between them. This yields further benefits to police officers and their employers: flexibility in transfer and enhanced career prospects, to name but two.

The idea should be costed out, and seriously considered if attractive. It would not be wasted effort. At the very least, it might prove a useful bargaining tool in 2012.

© The Calgary Herald 2005