Regional Partnerships for Policing

Recommendation:
That the November 15, 2006, Edmonton Police Service report 2006POLC13 be received for information.

Report Summary

This is an information report regarding Regional Partnerships for Policing.

Previous Council/Committee Action

  • At the November 28, 2006, City Council meeting, the November 15, 2006, Edmonton Police Service report 2006POLC13 was referred to the January 8, 2007, Community Services Committee meeting.
  • At the September 26, 2006, City Council meeting, CouncillorD.Thiele made the following inquiry:

"I understand that up to 47 RCMP contracts that are negotiated with individual municipalities will need to be reviewed by 2012.

The provision of policing to our neighbouring communities and institutions has been reviewed in the past. Questions that I have of the Edmonton Police Commission:

1.What are the legislative requirements that allow or prohibit regional partnerships for policing?

2.How many of our regional partners have individual contracts with the RCMP and which municipalities are they?

3.What would need to be put in place in order to facilitate discussions with the Edmonton Police Commission, Edmonton Police Service and Administration that would centre around the provision of policing by the Edmonton Police Service to those interested regional partners/municipalities?"

Report

1.What are the legislative requirements that allow or prohibit regional partnerships for policing?

Sections 24, 25 and 26 of the Police Act are most relevant to this question, and read as follows:

Regional police services

24(1) Subject to the prior approval of the Minister, the councils of 2 or more municipalities may enter into an agreement to be policed by one regional police service.

(2) The Government of Alberta may be a party to an agreement referred to in subsection (1) if the region to be policed under the agreement includes an area not contained within the limits of a municipality that is subject to the agreement.

(3) If the council of a municipality has entered into an agreement under this section, it shall not withdraw from the agreement without the prior approval of the Minister.

Regional police commissions

25(1) The parties to an agreement entered into under section 24 shall, in accordance with the agreement and subject to the regulations, establish a regional police commission.

(2) The appointment of a member to a regional police commission may be revoked only for cause and in accordance with the agreement entered into under section 24.

(3) All persons appointed to a regional police commission shall take the oath set out in Schedule 1.

Responsibility of a regional police commission

26 A regional police commission shall, on behalf of the parties to an agreement entered into under section 24, establish and maintain an adequate and effective regional police service under the general supervision of the regional police commission.

2.How many of our regional partners have individual contracts with the RCMP and which municipalities are they?

Within the Edmonton Census Metropolitan Area (CMA), nine municipalities1 have direct contracts with the federal government for RCMP services. These municipalities along with their 2005 population are listed in the following table:

Municipality / 2005 Population2
Beaumont / 8,361
Devon / 6,095
FortSaskatchewan / 14,685
Leduc / 15,630
Morinville / 6,540
Sherwood Park (i.e. urban service area of StrathconaCounty) / 55,063
Spruce Grove / 18,405
St. Albert / 56,310
Stony Plain / 10,544

3. What would need to be put in place in order to facilitate discussions with the Edmonton Police Commission, Edmonton Police Service and Administration that would centre around the provision of policing by the Edmonton Police Service to those interested regional partners/municipalities?

As an initial step it may be useful to conduct an informal assessment of the municipalities’ level of interest in an Edmonton Police Service proposal to provide policing services within their jurisdiction. The level of interest would determine the need for developing a marketing plan which has the support of the City and the Province (Alberta Solicitor General and Public Security). Implementation of the marketing plan would assist the Edmonton Police Service in confirming municipalities’ interest and targeting formal proposal(s) for the provision of policing by the Edmonton Police Service. For interested municipalities, the expiry dates of their contracts with the federal government would enable Edmonton Police Service to establish timelines for the proposal process.

The Edmonton Police Service has not been approached by any municipality in the region to provide them with policing services. The Edmonton Police Service continues to strengthen its working relationships with the RCMP in the regional municipalities as the means for facilitating effective policing services in the Edmonton region.

Others Approving this Report

Edmonton Police Commission

1Source: Alberta Solicitor General and Public Security (2006). Cost Review of Alberta Municipal Police – 2004. Document retrieved from website on October 4, 2006. http://www.solgen.gov.ab.ca/publications/

2Source: Alberta Municipal Affairs Official Population List, 2005. http://www.municipalaffairs.gov.ab.ca/ms/pdf/2005pop.pdf

(Page 1 of 3)