The Alberta government is progressing in its efforts to recruit officers for a new provincial police force. The introduction of Bill 4 on Thursday lays the groundwork for the future Alberta Sheriffs Police Service (ASPS) to receive equal treatment in terms of labor relations and workers’ compensation as existing municipal police forces.
If approved, the legislation will allow permanent residents to serve as ASPS officers, a move aimed at expanding the recruitment pool and aligning with practices of other police agencies. Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis officially unveiled the ASPS in July, with Sat Parhar, former deputy chief of the Calgary Police Service, appointed as the inaugural ASPS chief.
Ellis emphasized that the initiative is about enhancing and complementing the RCMP and current city police forces. The minister indicated that additional legislation will be introduced to establish the ASPS, and while no definitive timeline has been set for officer deployment, he noted that the training gap between sheriff duties and police responsibilities is narrower than perceived.
Furthermore, the new legislation would affect Alberta sheriffs represented by the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE), with those serving as police officers under the ASPS potentially falling under a police association for collective bargaining. The bill also addresses corrections and domestic violence matters, including changes to interprovincial inmate transfers and enhancements to Clare’s Law for preventing domestic abuse.
The province intends to delineate the legal authority of the Integrated Threat and Risk Assessment Centre (ITRAC) for database access and establish a structured process for transferring provincial inmates between jurisdictions. Ellis highlighted the need for clarity in interprovincial inmate transfers, as current agreements primarily cover federal inmates, necessitating a formalized framework for provincial custodial transfers.