Alberta Government Grants Funding for RCMP Policing
Episode Stats
Words per Minute
143.65103
Summary
Coldale, Alberta is the only municipality in Canada that is required to pay 100% of the cost of the RCMP contract, and this despite numerous outreach attempts from the provincial government to fix this problem. Alberta s government is stepping up to provide Coldale with $550,000 in funding to cover local policing costs that the federal government is refusing to pay.
Transcript
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This commitment includes empowering and supporting municipalities to make the best decisions to meet
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their public safety and policing needs. It doesn't matter if you are in downtown Calgary or in rural
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Alberta, regardless of where you live. Albertans deserve to feel safe in their daily lives,
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and it's the top priority for this provincial government to ensure the safety and peace of
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mind of all residents. When and where this is jeopardized, our government has a duty to act.
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No one should be left wondering whether or not they can rely on a prompt law enforcement response
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in their moment of need. When it comes to municipal policing, Coldales Pass embodies
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the freedom of choice and the pursuit of innovation that we want for all communities to benefit from.
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Flexibility is what our towns and rural municipalities need when considering and implementing local
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policing solutions tailored to their unique needs. It's not something that they should be punished for.
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Coldale originally had the RCMP policing contract and chose to move away with another contract service
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provider in another agreement, and since then they have revived the policing agreement with the federal government in 2016.
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However, Coldale is the only municipality in Canada, and let me say this again, they are the only
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municipality in Canada that is required to pay 100% of the cost of the RCMP contract.
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And this despite numerous outreach attempts from the provincial government, the town of Coldale.
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For the federal government to fix this problem, Coldale rate payers have been saddled with more
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than four million dollars in extra costs as a result. This is unacceptable and completely unfair.
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Albertans deserve to feel safe and protected in their communities and deserve equal treatment when it comes
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to police service funding. With no indication that Public Safety Canada is interested in resolving this
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unfair singling out of small-town Alberta, we are taking action today. Alberta's government is stepping up
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to provide Coldale with $550,000 in funding to cover local policing costs that the federal government is
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refusing to pay. This will be an annual, predictable funding. Reliable and affordable policing services
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are essential for rural communities. We recognize the extent and seriousness of crime in rural communities,
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which is why we are committed to providing funding to Coldale for frontline law enforcement.
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We won't stand idly by, while rural Albertans are unfairly made to shoulder the costs of essential
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services, that similar communities across Canada engage for far less. This is just simply not fair.
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The town of Coldale says this difficult situation is the result of a vindictive federal policy that is
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effectively penalizing the residents for pursuing the policing solutions and decisions that they thought met
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the needs of their community at the time. This has other municipalities fearful of even asking or
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exploring other options that are on the table. But we know that a sustainable, equitable funding model
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is needed to support public safety measures that protect all Albertans, no matter where they live.
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Municipalities should be able to explore policing options without putting equitable funding at risk.
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risk. As I have previously stated, I believe it is also another signal check from Public Safety Canada
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that they may not wish to continue with contract policing services in Canada. With this supplemental
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funding today, we're ensuring that the town of Coldale can continue to pay for the policing services
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its residents currently rely on. We support and echo Coldale's call on the federal government to engage
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and arrive at a reasonable resolution for this town. Today's announcement does not mean the discussions
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are over. Our government will continue to press Ottawa to extend the federal policing subsidy to Coldale and to
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ensure the fair treatment for all Alberta communities.