The province continues to call on the federal government to amend laws to take aim at repeat offenders.
“When police officers work hard to catch individuals who are breaking the law, it’s very discouraging to see those individuals not held accountable under our criminal justice system. The laws need to be strengthened, especially as it relates to some of these repeat offenders,” said Red Deer-South MLA Jason Stephan who attended a public town hall event featuring Alberta’s Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis on Thursday night at the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame.
“It’s frustrating I think for many that these individuals can’t be held accountable. They’re often caught and released too easily under our criminal justice system.”
Stephan said Ellis, a former officer with Calgary Police Service, emphasized it is important for both the police to do their job, and for the federal government to fix the system.
“(Public safety) is a big priority. Red Deer has so many great things about it, so many competitive advantages, our size, location, our amenities. It’s really important that we have public safety so individuals and families can enjoy those great competitive advantages,” Stephan said.
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Another issue discussed at Thursday’s meeting was municipal policing.
In February, Ellis pledged $9.7 million over two years to help Grande Prairie transition to a municipal police force, and recently Grande Prairie city council voted to replace its RCMP.
Stephan said the province respects the autonomy of municipalities when it comes to deciding which policing model works best for them, adding that Edmonton, Calgary, Lethbridge and Lacombe already have municipal police.
On the topic of a provincial police force, he said the province is still studying the issue.
“It’s an evolving item, so there isn’t really any definitive conclusion on that one way or the other,” Stephan said.
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During the UCP leadership contest, Danielle Smith said she wanted to pursue an Alberta police force to replace the RCMP. Once she became premier she directed Ellis, in a mandate letter, to launch a provincial police force.
Kevin Halwa, a director with the National Police Federation which represents RCMP officers, attended the town hall as a citizen to hear from the minister.
Halwa said when it comes to policing issues facing both communities and the RCMP, the provincial contract is extremely clear that the provincial minister sets the RCMP’s objectives.
“There continues to be a misunderstanding about who is basically calling the shots for the RCMP in Alberta. Both the resourcing levels and the provincial priorities are set by the provincial minister — period,” Halwa said.
— with files from The Canadian Press