Rural Municipalities of Alberta president Paul McLauchlin fears the UCP government is determined to pursue a provincial police force despite polling showing the idea has little general support.
Fewer than one in four rural Albertans believe the province should set up its own police force, according to a recent University of Lethbridge poll.
The online poll had 1,470 respondents, including 505 identified as rural. Among the rural contingent, 54 per cent disagreed or strongly disagreed with a provincial police force and nearly 23 per cent did not agree or disagree. Only about 23 per cent agreed or strongly agreed with putting provincial police in uniform.
The Rural Perceptions of Policing in Alberta poll was conducted by the university’s Prentice Institute for Global Population and Economy and the Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA).
Asked whether the RCMP should be dissolved in Alberta, 76 per cent disagreed and less than nine per cent agreed. Fifteen per cent were neutral.