WHEREAS many Alberta rural municipalities have large developed areas within their boundaries; AND WHEREAS many Alberta rural Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) detachments have large geographical areas for coverage; AND WHEREAS many Alberta rural RCMP detachments have a shortage of staff to provide effective response to all developed areas within their jurisdiction; AND WHEREAS the Police Act states that the Government of Alberta is responsible for ensuring an adequate and effective level of policing is maintained throughout Alberta;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties urge the Government of Alberta to establish a RCMP staffing formula including provisions for funding.

What is basic policing for a community? Is it the amount of crime? Is it number of residents? Is it determined by population/member? Is geography/distance considered? The Province has a policy paper on Enhanced Levels of Service which states, “Pursuant to the Police Act of Alberta, the Solicitor General is responsible for ensuring that an adequate and effective level of policing is maintained throughout Alberta. The Police Act requires the Province to provide provincial policing to every town, new town, village and summer village that has a population that is not greater than 2,500 (now 5,000) and every municipal district and Metis settlement, at no direct cost. In April 1992, Alberta entered into the Provincial Police Service Agreement with the Government of Canada to provide policing by the RCMP Provincial Police Service to these municipalities”. The Municipal District of Mackenzie questions how resources are allocated throughout the province. Who determines the staffing for each district? How is it decided where members are allocated throughout the province? The goal is to receive enough members to bring the population per member down to an acceptable population per member to ensure an adequate level of service is provided. The Municipal District of Mackenzie recommends that distance and travelling conditions (gravel) should be considered when allocating resources.

The AAMDC has no resolutions currently in effect with respect to this issue. However, Resolution 14-01F, endorsed at the fall 2001 convention, calls for the AAMDC and AUMA to work together to urge the provincial government to no longer impose a direct cost for policing on all towns, villages and summer villages, as is the case with municipal districts and counties.

The provincial 2005 budget allocated $15 million to bolster police presence in rural Alberta by about 120 officers.