• 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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• 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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