Concerns about costs are surfacing around the province’s plan to create its own provincial police force.
NDP Justice Critic Irfan Sabir was on the Trending 55 Hot Seat, says a report commissioned by the government shows just how much that would cost.
“That clearly shows that it will cost them $200 million extra every year and also $360 million plus in transition costs. That’s on top of $286 million the UCP has already downloaded onto municipalities in terms of policing costs.”
72 municipalities and other organizations from across Alberta co-signed a letter to Premier Jason Kenney to voice concerns over the UCP’s proposed police service.
Some of those municipalities include the Towns of Grimshaw, Fairview, High Level, High Prairie, McLennan and Spirit River, the Villages of Hines Creek and Girouxville, Big Lakes County, Northern Sunrise County, the County of Northern Lights and the MD of Peace.
Sabir says the money it would cost for the new force would be better used on making improvements to the justice system.
“They just are motivated by their politics and ideology in trying to push ahead with this idea that no municipality wants them to push ahead. I do not think that it will help us with issues of rural crime or crime in general, that will not help us in addressing delays within our justice.”
You can hear our full Hot Seat interview with Sabir below.
– Kyle Moore, Trending 55 Newsroom
