A policing review for Red Deer shows local law enforcement costs are similar to other mid-sized cities, although the caseload is higher here.
Red Deer city council will discuss these and other results from a review done to determine whether the city should start its own police force at a special council meeting Tuesday.
A year ago, city councillors directed administration to undertake an independent review of policing services in Red Deer.
The $200,000 undertaking is comprised of two parts: a governance review that identifies the opportunities and challenges with various policing operating models, and a service review with recommendations on enhancing services with the existing RCMP contract.
“The police review provides a comprehensive and independent look at delivery options for policing services in Red Deer,” said protective services director Paul Goranson.
“The report does not make a recommendation on a preferred model, but identifies opportunities and challenges with either option.”
As part of the review, Red Deer was compared to other cities that either had RCMP contracts or their own municipal police service.
The report shows that the cost of policing in Red Deer is comparable to other similar-sized cities, while the Red Deer detachment has higher caseloads per full-time equivalent employee.
“The service review makes eight recommendations to enhance services currently provided, however, further study is required before implementation,” said Goranson.
The meeting starts at 9:30 a.m. in city council chambers.