The Government of Alberta introduced Bill 4, which takes several steps to enable the Alberta Sheriffs Police Service.
On October 30, 2025, the Government of Alberta introduced Bill 4: The Public Safety and Emergency Services Statutes Amendment Act, 2025 (No. 2), which makes changes to several pieces of legislation related to policing and justice.
The amendments to the Police Officers Collective Bargaining Act section creates a more in-depth labour relations framework for the ASPS through which ASPS officers will have the same unionization and collective bargaining rights as other municipal police officers. This change enhances consistency across police services in the province.
Bill 4 also amends the Workers’ Compensation Act to ensure that ASPS officers receive the same coverage as other municipal frontline officers in relation to workplace injury coverage, benefits, and presumptive conditions. This is significant as RMA is currently advocating on Resolution 14-24F: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Coverage for Community Peace Officers (CPOs). Under the Workers’ Compensation Act, CPOs are not granted PTSD presumptions. All frontline officers are exposed to traumatic incidents on the job that could require specialized support and treatment. Granting this coverage to some, but not all, front-line officers reflects a two-tiered system where some frontline officers are supported, while others are not. It is essential that presumptive PTSD coverage is granted to all frontline officers.
Rural policing postings remain difficult to fill, and there remains no clear solution to how this will be addressed with the new police agency. Although Bill 4 expands eligibility for ASPS officers to allow permanent residents to apply, it is unknown what level of impact this will have on recruitment.
While Bill 4 focuses primarily on establishing a labour and human resources framework for the ASPS, significant questions remain outstanding related to how the ASPS will be funded, how the ASPS will co-exist with the RCMP in rural communities, the ASPS governance structure, and others.
RMA is committed to further understanding the implementation of the ASPS and will keep members informed of any updates regarding Bill 4.
Kallie Wischoff
Policy Advisor
825.319.2245
kallie@rmalberta.com
Wyatt Skovron
General Manager of Policy & Advocacy
780.955.4096
wyatt@rmalberta.com