Justice Minister and Solicitor General Kaycee Madu speaking at Thursday's town hall meeting in Redcliff (Photo credit to Scott Roblin)

By Scott Roblin (CHAT News Today)

PROPOSED PLAN

Madu’s town hall brings debate on provincial police to forefront

Jul 23, 2021 | 12:09 PM

REDCLIFF, AB – A few dozen Redcliff and Cypress County residents packed into the Redcliff Senior Citizen Centre Thursday as part of a town hall tour by provincial Justice Minister Kaycee Madu.

The topic at hand was the province’s proposed transition plan away from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police towards a provincial police body.

Madu said the comments he heard were valid regarding rural crime in the area and the issues with the justice system which allow for repeat offenders.

However, many voiced concerns regarding the potential elimination of RCMP policing in the province, including Redcliff councillor Shawna Gale.

“Of course as a community, and we already pay for policing, my biggest concern is budget and how this change is going to affect us financially,” said Gale.

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A report on the issue by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC is expected to provide more detail on the feasibility of launching a new police force in Alberta.

According to Madu, early data points toward cost savings down the line despite major infrastructure needed like new detachments and training facilities.

“On cost, on man power, on boots on the ground, it would make sense,” said Madu. “There is a strong argument to be made for the transition from the RCMP to the provincial police.”

Some of the frustration from residents was the lack of concrete data at this point, as pointed out by fellow councillor Cathy Crozier.

“I came away with more questions than answers, the funding, the training, the logistics,” said Crozier. “I’m really anxious to see how it’s going to look.”

Neither Gale nor Crozier said they’ve heard any sort of push from Redcliff or Cypress County residents for a new provincial police service even with the long response times that can be common in the Redcliff detachment’s jurisdiction.

“I think in general we’re happy with the RCMP services,” said Gale. “Response time and the turnaround with response because they do service a huge community, not just the town, that is of some concern for our residents. But, overall I think that they feel secure in our area.”

Madu isn’t as convinced, however, alleging much of the push back on the topic is coming from those at the municipal level and not everyday citizens.

“To be blunt, you hear more people who say they are comfortable with the RCMP on council, municipal leaders,” said Madu. “The ordinary citizens love the men and women of law enforcement, but they [realize] there is a problem and a gap that we need to fix.”

Madu called the RCMP a great Canadian institution several times during Thursday night’s town hall, but added he wanted to find the policing model that would work best for Alberta citizens.

He also was open to the possibility of a referendum deciding the future of policing in Alberta, however reiterated that such a vote would not be on this October’s municipal election ballot.

At the end of the meeting, Crozier felt like the Redcliff audience was being told a plan and that their input would have little to no factor.

“There’s all sorts of letters coming from municipalities and people in support of the RCMP,” said Crozier. “But I’m not 100 per cent sure that our thoughts and wishes are being heard.”

Members of the Redcliff RCMP detachment declined comment following the meeting.

There is no date set for the release of the study into provincial policing, with Madu stating it will be released as soon as possible.

Pepper spray push

Earlier in the week, Madu wrote a letter to the federal government looking to individuals, including vulnerable citizens, to be allowed to open carry pepper spray for self-defence.

Such a use of pepper spray by a member of the public is currently not legal, as pepper spray is considered a prohibited weapon.

The Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police have requested to meet with Madu further citing potential risks of criminal usage and affecting innocent citizens caught in the cross-fire.

Madu was asked to clarify his statement on open-carry pepper spray in Alberta and stated it would be in the best interests of vulnerable communities who have seen an increase in hate crimes.

“At the end of the day we must empower vulnerable Albertans to be able to defend themselves from these miscreants,” said Madu. “That is one tool in the tool kit for them to be able to defend themselves, I don’t understand anyone out there who would be opposed to this.”

CHAT News was prohibited from asking a follow up question to Madu’s comments, more specifically on the topic of the dangers such a policy could unintentionally cause to the public.