• Province gives Grande Prairie's 911 service $2 million to support policing, fire response

  Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
  Date: 2026-10-27 16:03:53.0
  Tags: [Alberta, Municipal, Public Safety, Infrastructure, Justice]

  The Government of Alberta announced a $2 million provincial grant for the City of Grande Prairie's 911 service and Public Safety Communication Centre (PSCC), bringing the province's total contribution to public safety and policing projects to $19 million against a total project cost of $23 million. Distributed by Deputy Premier and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services Mike Ellis on October 21, the funding supports the establishment of a local dispatch center capable of covering a large regional landmass and servicing 47 per cent of the province. The announcement coincided with the official ceremonial handover of local policing responsibilities from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to the newly created municipal Grande Prairie Police Service (GPPS), led by Police Chief Dwayne Lakusta.

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• Grande Prairie Police Service to replace RCMP as Alberta’s first new municipal force in 70 years

  Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
  Date: 2026-10-07 19:48:03.0
  Tags: [Alberta, Municipal, Public Safety, Justice, Governance]

  The Grande Prairie Police Service (GPPS) is set to formally replace the RCMP as the police of jurisdiction for the City of Grande Prairie on October 21 at 6 a.m., marking the first new municipal police service created in Alberta in 70 years. Led by Chief of Police Dwayne Lakusta, the GPPS will operate with 80 sworn members following an 8-1 city council vote on March 6, 2023, which was informed by internal reviews and a consulting study by MNP. The transition integrates existing community services like Grande Prairie Enforcement Services and the Mobile Outreach Program and introduces new operational tools, including a biometric detainee monitoring system and a drone program.

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• 'It was human error': Public safety minister outraged over Chinatown inmate drop-offs

  Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
  Date: 2026-09-25 21:34:54.0
  Tags: [Alberta, Municipal, Public Safety, Justice, Infrastructure, Transportation]

  Alberta Public Safety and Emergency Services Minister Mike Ellis addressed recent incidents where former inmates were dropped off in Edmonton's Chinatown by provincial corrections officers, attributing the releases to human error. Deputy Minister Justin Krilker reviewed executive operations and implemented corrective measures to ensure future releases prioritize coordinated reintegration and support services. Additionally, the provincial government announced a $38.5 million investment to build roads, utilities, and municipal servicing for Beaumont's Innovation Park, which will house a safety campus and training hub constructed by the Alberta Motor Transportation Association.

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• Edmonton police commission tackles move to virtual meetings, Chinatown drop-offs

  Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
  Date: 2026-09-17 23:06:11.0
  Tags: [Alberta, Municipal, Public Safety, Governance, Justice]

  The Edmonton Police Commission transitioned its public meetings to a virtual format and suspended public speaker sessions for the remainder of the year due to ongoing harassment, defamation, intimidation, and death threats directed at commissioners since March. Edmonton Police Service Chief Warren Driechel addressed security concerns ahead of the October 19 provincial referendum on separation, stating police cannot staff every polling station and will instead focus on preventing civil disorder. Additionally, city councillors raised renewed concerns regarding provincial corrections officers dropping off released detainees in Edmonton’s Chinatown without adequate support.

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• Three Nova Scotia communities to launch crime prevention projects

  Source: Nova Scotia - Halifax & Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-17 18:29:37.0
  Tags: [Nova Scotia, Municipal, Public Safety, Justice, Social Services]

  The Nova Scotia government announced it will allocate $550,000 in federal funding from Public Safety Canada to three municipalities to establish tailored crime prevention projects. Provincial Justice Minister Scott Armstrong confirmed the initiative will help communities address complex local challenges such as mental health, addiction, housing instability, and poverty. In New Glasgow, Mayor Nancy Dicks noted the funding arrives as the town addresses escalating public safety issues and debates the future of a local 20-bed emergency homeless shelter.

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• City calls for 'provincial reintegration co-ordination framework' after video surfaces showing inmates dropped off in Chinatown late Friday

  Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
  Date: 2026-09-14 22:02:14.0
  Tags: [Alberta, Municipal, Justice, Public Safety, Social Services]

  Following a viral video showing correctional officers dropping off five men and three women from a shuttle in Edmonton's Chinatown area at approximately 8:45 p.m. on Friday, September 11, 2026, the City of Edmonton is calling for a provincial reintegration co-ordination framework. Mayor Andrew Knack noted that Edmonton houses 3,405 inmates across its eight prisons—representing 72 per cent of the provincial inmate population and 306 per cent more than Calgary—and urged the provincial and federal governments to implement a proper "warm handoff" to social services. O-day'min Councillor Anne Stevenson emphasized that leaving vulnerable individuals in parking lots without services immediately prior to the weekend sets them up to re-offend, while Ministry of Public Safety Director of Communications Sheena Campbell stated that corrections works with community shelters and individuals upon release, though approximately 80 per cent are on remand status with unpredictable release dates.

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• Ottawa invests $2.2 million to give Edmonton youths a literal fighting chance

  Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
  Date: 2026-09-09 23:22:54.0
  Tags: [National, Alberta, Municipal, Justice, Public Safety, Social Services]

  The federal government, through Justice Minister Sean Fraser, announced a $2.2 million investment from the Crime Prevention Action Fund to support the Empire Fighting Chance program in Edmonton. Administered locally through REACH Edmonton and operated out of Brave MMA and Fitness, the program adapts a model from Bristol, England, utilizing non-contact boxing, martial arts discipline, and psychologically informed mentoring to redirect at-risk youth away from crime and gang activity. Local municipal leaders, including Edmonton Mayor Andrew Knack, alongside organizations like Native Counselling Services of Alberta, collaborated on the initiative to provide barrier-free early intervention and mental health resources.

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