Close X
Thursday, November 7, 2024
ADVT 
National

'Canada is watching': New northern Alberta police service trying to lead by example

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 04 Nov, 2024 01:54 PM
  • 'Canada is watching': New northern Alberta police service trying to lead by example

On the second floor of a building where most offices are without doors, the ceilings hang low and the carpets don't match, the chief of Grande Prairie’s new police force gets down to work.

"Don't focus on the building," Dwayne Lakusta said in a recent interview.

The 51-year-old was picked over a year ago to head up a new municipal police service in this city of 60,000 in Alberta’s northwest, replacing the RCMP. It's to be the first new force in Alberta in more than 60 years. 

With three decades of experience, Lakusta has overseen the deployment of a small group of officers working with local RCMP.

The Mounties remain in charge until the local force takes over primary jurisdiction on April 1, 2026.

Lakusta said it will take a new approach based on surveys and research done in other jurisdictions calling for police to be more responsive, particularly to youth.

The result, he said, is a "non-traditional" policing model that will deploy mobile outreach workers alongside enforcement officers. 

"It's a holistic approach toward community safety and well-being," Lakusta said.

"If it's a call for a suicide, we'll send a mental health worker instead of an officer with a gun."

Grande Prairie Mayor Jackie Clayton said the stakes are high.

"It's an opportunity for us to do something unique,” Clayton said in an interview at city hall. 

“I know a lot of Canada is watching to see how this unfolds … (the service) will build a sort of template for other municipalities that are looking to transition."

Coun. Dylan Bressey said the idea came about in 2018.

"There were conversations going on in Alberta about a provincial police service," he said.

Bressey said while debating the idea council became aware the RCMP's contracts across the country would expire in March 2032.

Clayton said council’s decision in 2023 to cancel the RCMP deal was difficult but necessary.

"There's an emotional attachment to the RCMP. It's a symbolic piece of Canada, it's history and so, change is hard," said Clayton. But she said the city was ready for a service more tailored to local needs.

Chris Thiessen was the only councillor to turn thumbs down at the vote.

"My first no vote was really just to delay and to give our public the opportunity to be more part of the discussion," Thiessen said in an interview.

And there’s the money.

"For us to be able to do a cost analysis five years from now, for instance, is tricky. We're just ballparking numbers.

"We have to do a good job showing that the services have a greater net benefit to the community, and it's worth the costs."

A recent cost analysis by the city indicates there will be savings, particularly due to lower administrative charges.

Clayton and Lakusta said a few other communities in Alberta and at least one in Nova Scotia are watching closely as they consider making the transition. 

Surrey, B.C., is moving away from the RCMP, but the transition has met resistance as its council attempted to undo a previous decision to create a new service.

Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke raised concerns about how much the transition was costing taxpayers. In July, a judicial review ruled British Columbia has the authority to complete the transition from the RCMP to the local force.

Lakusta says starting a service from the grassroots in Grande Prairie has so far been beneficial because it comes with "no baggage."

"(The) only thing we can do is build trust," he said.

MORE National ARTICLES

Alleged arrest in series of crimes

Alleged arrest in series of crimes
Nanaimo R-C-M-P say a man has been arrested after allegedly committing a series of crimes over the long weekend including stealing and crashing a car. Police say they received calls yesterday afternoon of the suspect wielding a machete and breaking windows while assaulting people in the 21-hundred block of Duggan Road.

Alleged arrest in series of crimes

Transit workers for Metro Vancouver HandyDART service to rally after strike begins

Transit workers for Metro Vancouver HandyDART service to rally after strike begins
Most HandyDART trips in Metro Vancouver have been cancelled as unionized workers for the specialized transit service begin a strike. Regional transport provider TransLink says in an online notice that most HandyDART trips are cancelled due to the job action but the service is still available for people with medical conditions who need to get to appointments for cancer, renal or multiple sclerosis treatments.

Transit workers for Metro Vancouver HandyDART service to rally after strike begins

Cash-strapped parents seek back-to-school deals as years of inflation take a toll

Cash-strapped parents seek back-to-school deals as years of inflation take a toll
When August rolled around, April Hicke realized the $100 she typically gives her 13-year-old son to update his wardrobe in time for school to start was no longer enough. Hicke increased her son's budget to $200, taught him about looking for deals and used an annual Patagonia sale and resale sites like Poshmark to find savings on such big-ticket items as winter coats.

Cash-strapped parents seek back-to-school deals as years of inflation take a toll

Former B.C. Liberal minister says he may vote NDP, as Eby woos disaffected centrists

Former B.C. Liberal minister says he may vote NDP, as Eby woos disaffected centrists
Former British Columbia Liberal cabinet minister Terry Lake says he'll consider voting for Premier David Eby's New Democrats if the B.C. Conservatives don't shift to the political centre, especially on the issue of climate change.

Former B.C. Liberal minister says he may vote NDP, as Eby woos disaffected centrists

U.S. escalates efforts to halt Ottawa's digital services tax

U.S. escalates efforts to halt Ottawa's digital services tax
The federal government says it's in close contact with its American partners as the Biden administration escalates efforts to halt Canada’s tax on large foreign digital services companies.  The Office of the United States Trade Representative has requested dispute settlement consultations with Ottawa under the Canada-United States-Mexico trade agreement.

U.S. escalates efforts to halt Ottawa's digital services tax

International student enrolment drops below federal cap: Universities Canada

International student enrolment drops below federal cap: Universities Canada
The immigration minister announced a cap in January as a way to quell the rapid increase in the number of international students, citing pressure on housing, health care and other services. The new policy limits the number of student visa applications the government would accept into processing, and that was expected to result in a 35 per cent drop in the number of students in 2024 compared to last year.

International student enrolment drops below federal cap: Universities Canada