Northern Alberta city of Grande Prairie votes in favour of municipal police service
By The Canadian Press on March 7, 2023.
GRANDE PRAIRIE, Alta. – City councillors in Grande Prairie, Alta., have voted in favour of replacing the RCMP with its own municipal police service after a full day of deliberation. Councillors in the northwestern Alberta city voted nearly unanimously after midnight today, with only one councillor against the motion. The council meeting that began Monday heard community members and representatives from the RCMP and the National Police Federation present their concerns. The Alberta government announced last month that it would give Grande Prairie $9.7 million over two years to help cover transitional costs if council were to vote for the city police force. The total cost of the proposed police service is estimated to be $19 million. The National Police Service says in a statement that it believes the decision is politically motivated and lacks consideration for overall transitional costs. This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 7, 2023. 8-7
