This is low-hanging fruit, and it is ripe for the picking.
Alberta has a clear, legal pathway to establish its own provincial police force. By providing formal notice under our current contract with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)—which currently oversees policing in our rural and small-town communities—we can initiate a structured, manageable transition. We will have ample time to adjust, beginning with a standing offer of employment to every dedicated RCMP officer currently serving on Alberta soil.
The reasons for this shift are both legion and undeniable.
1. A Failure of Federal Management
First, the national force’s overarching administration has proven itself fundamentally dysfunctional. This is not a reflection on the front-line officers who risk their lives daily, but rather a condemnation of a bloated federal bureaucracy. To borrow a phrase often attributed to Albert Einstein, the management in Ottawa is “so bad, it is not even wrong.” The serial errors of judgment originating from national headquarters are so frequent and systemic that the entire administrative apparatus has lost its credibility.
2. Broken Institutional Incentives
The current structural incentives of the RCMP actively work against Albertans. Under the federal framework, any ambitious member seeking advancement must look to Ottawa, with bilingualism as a mandatory prerequisite. Consequently, ambitious officers are incentivized to focus on federal optics rather than the distinct needs of the local Alberta communities where they are temporarily stationed. They are forced to look East for career progression, rather than looking at the neighborhood they are paid to protect.
3. A Commitment to Community
Let us move past this outdated model. By expanding the existing Alberta Sheriffs branch into a full-fledged provincial police force, we can recruit, train, and retain professionals who actually want to live in Alberta and serve our communities long-term.
It is time for Alberta to step up, govern ourselves like a mature, self-reliant province, and take this common-sense step to rebalance our relationship with Ottawa.