An association representing Canada’s RCMP officers and Alberta Public Safety and Emergency Services Minister Mike Ellis engaged in a war of words on Monday.
National Police Federation (NPF) president and CEO Brian Sauvé took aim at April 10 comments Ellis made in the Legislature, calling them “only the latest in a multi-year and ongoing effort to misrepresent facts, foster public fear, and push a narrative to justify the replacement of Alberta’s provincial police service without evidence, need or consultation.”
Sauvé said the minister has consistently misrepresented the authorized strength of RCMP working under the Provincial Police Service Agreement (PPSA) by including 139 civilian members, which left the impression the authorized strength is 1,911 instead of 1,772, despite government documents supporting the lower number.
“The facts are known to you. Repeatedly misrepresenting them is not a mistake, but your deliberate choice,” Sauvé says in a statement.
Ellis is also accused of falsely stating Peace River RCMP Detachment has only five of its 17.5 authorized officers. In reality, Peace River has only one vacancy among its 12 PPSA officers, 12 municipal officers, five First Nations Community Tri-Partite officers and two Woodland Cree First Nations officers, says Sauvé.
NPF said Ellis’s claim that 911 calls go unanswered is “categorically untrue.” All calls are answered, 97 per cent within two minutes and 87 per cent within one minute, says Sauvé, whose organization represents 20,000 RCMP officers at home and abroad, including 3,500 Alberta officers.
The NPF said Ellis’s role is to govern responsibly and transparently.
“Instead, you have chosen to mislead Albertans to suit a predetermined agenda. This is unacceptable.”
The NPF calls on the minister to engage in transparent and evidence-based discussion on policing’s future.
“Until then, we will not stand by while misinformation undermines public confidence in policing or disrespects the thousands of dedicated RCMP Members who serve Alberta every day.”
Later on Monday, Ellis fired back, saying “unions in Ottawa need to make rural safety a priority and be clear on current RCMP vacancy rates in our province.
“Current vacancy rates are nearly 20 per cent across the province and this is putting public safety at risk. These unions in Ottawa are asking for additional funds to fix the problem, but we know this is not about funding shortfalls. In fact, our province is currently paying $16 million for unfilled RCMP positions in Alberta, for services we don’t get.
“I am no lawyer, but if any service provider stiffs you $16 million and asks for more money to deliver what was initially promised – that’s a breach of contract in my opinion.”
Ellis said he has heard endless horror stories from municipalities and business owners that 911 calls are not being responded to in a reasonable time. He also said he’s been told the RCMP in some communities have been telling people not to call 911 for social disorder issues because they simply do not have the officers to send to the calls.
“This is completely unacceptable and concerning,” said the minister.
“Let me be clear, this is not about the good men and women of the RCMP working tirelessly in our community. They are doing the best they can – but they are being stretched too thin. This is the result of mismanagement from unions in Ottawa and the federal government not making rural public safety a priority.
I would argue that the union in Ottawa is out of touch with what is actually happening on the ground here in Alberta.
Ellis said the municipal share of policing costs is going to increase by 50 per cent because of RCMP wage negotiations.
“That means municipalities are going to be paying more for their RCMP contracts, with no improvement in service. I stepped in with $27 million to help freeze that hit to municipalities, but that was only for a year.
“This is why Alberta’s government is moving forward with Bill 49, which if passed, will provide an alternative policing model with the Independent Police Agency for municipalities and indigenous communities to choose.”
