The Alberta government has unveiled a bill aimed at holding high-risk offenders accountable and creating an independent provincial police agency.
The announcement, made by Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis on Wednesday, aims to address critical staffing shortages within the RCMP and tackle the rise of violent crime while implementing an ankle bracelet monitoring program to monitor high-risk offenders.
If passed, Bill 11, also known as the Public Safety Statutes Amendment Act, will feature two key amendments intended to protect Albertans by holding violent criminals accountable and responding to the evolving public safety needs in the province.
One amendment will advance Alberta’s sheriff service department into an autonomous police force.
The new independent force is poised to partner with existing municipal, First Nations police bodies, and the RCMP. The force will be subject to civilian oversight.
The new police force is not intended to replace the RCMP; instead, it will augment and support it, according to Ellis.
“Our aim here is to bring the police-like functions, that the Alberta sheriffs have taken on over time, under the same kind of legislative framework and civilian oversight as Alberta’s police services,” he said.
Ellis said the RCMP has indicated to him that they are more short-staffed than they should be.
“The RCMP just do not have enough human beings to police Canada, regardless of the amount of money that we give them. They’re having trouble from a hiring perspective,” he said.
“When somebody calls 911, I expect somebody to show up, and I do not care what the uniform is. And, to me, that is the number one priority.” However, Ellis said this has been a challenge in some cases.
Bill 11 passed its first reading in the legislative assembly on Tuesday.
Before diving into a proposed budget or timeline, Ellis said the bill needs to pass legislation. The government continues to assess costs, expenses, training, equipment, and governance.
In addition to the new police force, the bill introduces an amendment to the Corrections Act, establishing a provincial program mandating ankle bracelets for violent and sexual offenders and those out on bail.
“The federal Liberal-NDP alliance’s Bill C-75 have (sic) created an environment in Canada where repeat violent offenders and organized crime have been able to thrive, with little to no consequences,” said Ellis. “Our federal justice system is not holding criminals accountable for their actions and letting the public suffer the consequences.”
The legislation would give courts the power to monitor those considered a risk to public safety while out on bail or serving a community sentence.
“Alberta’s government cannot sit idly by. Enough is enough,” said Ellis.
The rollout of the electronic monitoring system is expected to begin this fall.
The amendment empowers provincial courts to prescribe electronic GPS monitoring as a bail condition for offenders, particularly individuals with a history of physical and sexual violence.
People subject to wearing the court-ordered electronic monitor device must wear it on their ankles. The device would be monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“When the public safety is at stake, we’re going to do whatever it takes to protect Albertans and help ensure their peace of mind,” said Ellis.
The National Police Federation, certified to represent about 20,000 RCMP members since 2019, is the largest police labour relations organization in Canada, and second largest in North America.
The organization’s president issued a press release in response to the Alberta government’s announcement.
“We are deeply concerned and perplexed about the announcement made today by the Government of Alberta to introduce new legislation laying the groundwork for a new independent police agency,” said Brian Sauvé. He added that Alberta has not increased funding for the RCMP to keep pace with the province’s population growth and evolving crime.
“Proposed changes to policing in Alberta have been deeply unpopular with Alberta residents and today’s announcement appears to be yet another attempt to force an unwanted and expensive policing change on taxpayers,” he said.
“Rather than legislation, bureaucracy and more government spending to explore alternative policing services, it’s time to invest in the highly trained, professional provincial policing service accountable to Albertans: The Alberta RCMP.”
