News release

Alberta RCMP response to the Alberta Next Panel release

December 29, 2025 - Edmonton, Alberta
From: Alberta RCMP

Content

The Alberta Next Panel has released its recommendation to establish an Alberta Police Service, which has understandably generated discussion across the province. Decisions about who provides policing services in Alberta ultimately rest with the Government of Alberta, and we fully respect that responsibility.

What we do control is how we serve. And that will continue to be our focus. Every day, the Alberta RCMP shows up to protect, support, and partner with communities across this province — professionally, impartially, and independently. Our focus has always been and will continue to be on public safety, grounded in the needs of the communities we serve.

I want to clearly express how proud I am of our employees, both on the front lines and behind the scenes. Every day, they serve Albertans with professionalism, compassion, and resilience. They do so in a challenging environment, amid uncertainty, because they care deeply about the people and communities they serve. This commitment will not change.

Through our contract with the province, the Alberta RCMP provides policing services to approximately 20% of Albertans in rural communities. We also serve another 20% of Albertans through municipal policing contracts, including communities such as Red Deer and Brooks. In total, that is roughly 40% of Alberta’s population across 95% of the province’s geography.

We know that staffing levels and police visibility are important concerns for rural Albertans. Recruiting and retention remain challenges for police agencies across North America, and Alberta is no exception. What is important is that we are seeing meaningful progress. Since April 2024, we have received more than 4,600 applications, which are translating into additional officers in communities across the province.

I also get a number of questions around the Police Funding Model and while this is a Government of Alberta model, the Alberta RCMP has received funds as a result, allowing us to increase our capacity. We added 279 police officers — including 136 directly in detachments — and 242 civilian positions, with 77 of those supporting detachment operations. Through this funding model and the support of our partners, we have continued to modernize how we police. We have built a Real-Time Operations Centre (a center that directly supports front line policing), expanded our drone program, increased investigative capacity and added a third specialized Emergency Response Team.

These investments place the Alberta RCMP on the leading edge of modern policing in Canada and directly support community safety which greatly enhanced our ability to bring a swift conclusion to the very dangerous and tragic situation in the County of Grande Prairie this past weekend. Combined with the dedication of our employees and the contributions of the communities we serve; these efforts have helped reduce crime rates in Alberta to the lowest levels in five years.

We recognize that ongoing uncertainty about the future of provincial policing weighs heavily on communities, just as it does on our employees and their families. While discussions about the future model of policing may continue, Albertans can be confident that their safety is not a matter for debate and will not be compromised. Throughout these conversations, we will continue to serve your communities without interruption, and we will remain focused on modernizing our operations, strengthening frontline capacity, and delivering effective, responsive service to communities across the province.

I want to reassure our communities that regardless of what is ultimately decided, our priority remains unchanged. That priority is — and will always be — the people of Alberta.

Deputy Commissioner Trevor Daroux

Commanding Officer

Alberta RCMP

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