On March 7, 2023, after a years-long assessment of the local police service, Grande Prairie City Council approved the establishment of a municipal police service for Grande Prairie.
Right up to the day of the vote, Mayor and City Council were careful to ensure they were making the right decision for Grande Prairie. Assessments included conversations across Canada, a review of existing policing models that included in-person visits to select municipalities, a robust public consultation initiative, and the creation of two deeply researched reports.
Municipal Police Service Review
Completed in September 2022, this 112-page report outlines and reviews a multitude of policing factors and concludes with a recommendation. Items covered: Policing in Canada and Alberta, legislation, governance, agreements, and policing in Grande Prairie. The report also analyzes finances, strategy, and policing delivery options.
Read the Municipal Police Service Review
The City of Grande Prairie Policing Transition
As a follow-up to the Municipal Police Service Review, accounting firm MNP was engaged to create The City of Grande Prairie Policing Transition report. This 104+ page report was completed on February 14, 2023, and details the transition plan to a municipal police service for Grande Prairie specifically.
Importantly, this report was published before the decision to continue forward with a municipal police service, and was used as one of many decision-making tools.
In this report, readers will find information on background, environmental scans, current state (at time of writing), community engagement, legal and regulatory requirements, strategy, and more. There are answers to many questions within this document including queries around finances, timelines, training, and recruitment.
Read the City of Grande Prairie Policing Transition report
Historical Significance
It’s been nearly 70 years since a new municipal police service has been stood up in Alberta; the last one was in Camrose in 1956. The City of Grande Prairie is demonstrating that, with careful planning and diligence, it is possible to successfully create a police service built around the unique needs of a community. Many eyes are on northern Alberta as this transition moves forward and Grande Prairie is up to the challenge.
Since City Council’s historic vote to move ahead with a new municipal police service on March 7, 2023, the City of Grande Prairie has been working with both the provincial and federal governments, the RCMP, and various regulatory bodies to ensure full compliance.
As the transition nears completion, significant milestones have been achieved, including:
- Received approval from the Province of Alberta to establish a municipal police service and transition from RCMP contract policing.
- Established the Grande Prairie Police Commission as the civilian oversight body for GPPS.
- Notified the Government of Canada of the City's intent to transition away from the RCMP under the Municipal Police Service Agreement.
- Recruited and deployed experienced officers to work alongside the RCMP throughout the transition period.
- Integrated Grande Prairie Enforcement Services and Mobile Outreach under GPPS as part of a tiered public safety model.
- Developed and launched a made-in-Grande Prairie recruit training program, graduating multiple classes of new police officers.
- Expanded GPPS to include specialized policing resources such as tactical operations, criminal investigations, specialized investigations, forensic services, canine services, drone operations, and polygraph services dedicated to Grande Prairie.
- Remained on track to complete the transition two years ahead of the original timeline.
On October 21, 2026, the Grande Prairie Police Service will become the police of jurisdiction for the City of Grande Prairie, marking the completion of one of the most significant public safety initiatives in the community's history. Residents will continue to use the same emergency and non-emergency phone numbers, and policing services will continue uninterrupted as GPPS assumes responsibility for policing within city limits.