Alberta Provincial Police Force - Meeting Alberta’s policing needs, or serving Alberta’s political agenda?

In this episode of The Line: Alberta Podcast, Rob Breakenridge delves into the future of policing in Alberta and whether that will - or should - involve the creation of an Alberta Provincial Police Force. The RCMP contract for community policing ends in 2032, and we may see the RCMP exit community policing altogether in favour of a more focused, national mandate. At the same time, however, the idea of Alberta shedding a federal institution in favour of something Alberta-made and Alberta-branded has taken on added political significance. The UCP government is keen on establishing greater autonomy for Alberta and this change is seen as one way of accomplishing that.We’ll hear in this episode from Kara Westerlund, president of the Rural Municipalities of Alberta. They’re worried about the impact such a change could have on their communities and their budgets, and they feel like their voices are not being heard in this debate. Plus, we’ll also get some perspective from Mount Royal University criminology professor Dr. Kelly Sundberg who has been following and studying this issue for years - what are the costs and benefits of establishing an Alberta Provincial Police Force?