RCMP contract policing not the best option for Coaldale
Alberta's municipal police officers support regional policing model
February 27th 2003
(EDMONTON) The head of Alberta's rank and file municipal police association says that Coaldale town council's review of policing should only focus on retaining its current municipal police service or integrating it with a Lethbridge regional police service model.
"We hold the belief that Albertans should have autonomy over community policing in their cities and towns. If Coaldale were to enter into a RCMP policing contract, the Coaldale Police Commission would cease to exist. From that point on, no citizens of the community - be it the mayor or town council - would be empowered to establish policies providing for efficient and effective policing of Coaldale," says Sergeant Peter Kawalilak, president of the Alberta Federation of Police Associations.
Kawalilak states that within the municipal and regional policing models, Alberta's police act confers statutory powers on appointed police commissions. The commissions then work directly with their police departments in developing police budgets and policing programs for the community. Kawalilak emphasizes that the Coaldale issue has nothing to do with the front line RCMP officers who he claims are just as dedicated to law enforcement professionalism as their municipal counterparts.
"The reality is, with RCMP policing there are no police commissions and the decisions regarding the delivery of policing will largely be made by Ottawa, not by the citizens of Coaldale," says Kawalilak. Kawalilak has written a letter to Coaldale's police commission chair, Maureen Burke, offering to make a formal presentation to her committee.
In his letter to the commission, Kawalilak states, "One of the biggest myths in Canadian law enforcement is a belief that RCMP policing is less expensive than municipal or regional policing. We would urge your Commission to be wary of such a claim and to independently consult other municipalities in Canada, who after examining other policing alternatives, have chosen to remain as a municipal police service."
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Memorial Golf Tournament Saturday September 24th,
$100.00 per person pays for 18 holes with power cart, 8 ounce steak
dinner to follow golf
High quality dry weave golf shirt included with fee(Proceeds going to
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