Province announces additional $7M for Grande Prairie policing transition

Catherine Garrett · CBC News

· Posted: May 27, 2025 3:05 PM EDT | Last Updated: 5 hours ago

The Alberta authorities is earmarking an further $7 cardinal successful backing for Grande Prairie to found its own municipal constabulary force, bumping the province's full publication up to astir $17 million.

The metropolis decided to signifier retired the RCMP and make its ain municipal constabulary unit successful 2023.

The backing announced Tuesday builds connected the archetypal committedness from the Alberta government of $9.7 cardinal implicit 2 years. 

"It's important that the assemblage has the resources needed to prolong this momentum and proceed laying the groundwork for the Grande Prairie Police Service," said Minister of Public Safety Mike Ellis astatine the announcement successful Grande Prairie Tuesday. 

The full estimated outgo for the modulation is astir $19 million, which is expected to instrumentality 5 years.

The backing volition assistance with projected start-up costs that see gathering the caller service, salaries, benefits, recruitment, instrumentality and training. 

"By removing immoderate of this fiscal pressure, we're we're helping to guarantee that the Grande Prairie Police Service is good positioned to win arsenic the superior constabulary of jurisdiction for this metropolis successful 2026," said Ellis. 

Municipal constabulary to outgo little than RCMP, metropolis says

According to an investigation presented to the metropolis successful October, the caller constabulary work is expected to outgo the metropolis little than the RCMP. 

The investigation was based connected the program to person 110 officers serving successful its ain metropolis constabulary unit by 2028. The RCMP declaration projections were for 100 officers. 

The anticipated outgo savings for the GPPS betwixt 2024 and 2028 scope from $742,380 successful 2026 to $2,739,819 successful 2027. In total, the anticipated outgo savings are much than $8 million, though that fig includes millions successful provincial assistance money.

Once provincial funding done the Grande Prairie Police Service assistance statement ends, the metropolis volition sorb each operational costs.

The modulation remains connected fund and connected schedule, officials said. 

"These funds are a cardinal constituent of our continued advancement and occurrence for the transition," said Grande Prairie Mayor Jackie Clayton.

"Through our multi-year backing formula, we're capable to guarantee one-time circuit costs are funded, stay connected budget, and acceptable up for occurrence portion demonstrating enactment and accountability for this transition."

According to the Grande Prairie Police Service, it has hired 50 officers successful the 21 months since the modulation began. 

The afloat modulation distant from the RCMP volition beryllium successful spot by 2028.