Rural crime town hall meetings scheduled for southern Alberta

Justice Minister and Solicitor General Kaycee Madu is meeting with Albertans this summer to hear their perspectives on rural crime.

Since the beginning of July, Minister Madu has been meeting with municipal councils, Indigenous leaders and other stakeholders throughout the province.

Starting July 20, the first in a series of town hall meetings scheduled across Alberta will give the public an opportunity to voice their concerns about crime in their communities.

“We know crime remains a serious concern for people who live in rural Alberta. That’s why we’re reaching out to rural Albertans to talk about how we can shape the future of policing in our province to build safer communities for everyone, no matter where they live,” said Kaycee Madu, Minister of Justice and Solicitor General, in a press release.

The government says longstanding concerns about how long it can take police to arrive at the scene of an emergency prompted the government to launch the Rural Alberta Provincial Integrated Defence (RAPID) Response initiative earlier this year. Under RAPID Response, provincial peace officers in the Alberta Sheriffs were given expanded authorities to help the RCMP on urgent calls and to investigate a wider range of traffic offences.

The town hall sessions will also be an opportunity to discuss ongoing work to modernize the Police Act, as well as update the public on the progress of the government’s study on the feasibility of establishing a provincial police service to replace the RCMP in Alberta.

Town halls scheduled for southwestern Alberta include Claresholm on July 21 from 6-8 p.m. (Town of Claresholm office, 111-55 AvenueW)and Cardston on July 22 from 9-11 a.m. (Tanner Centennial Seniors Centre, 260 1StreetW).