Your news this week: Huge food bank delivery - 7 Secret world turning graffiti to art - 8/9 $50 million announcement - 18 OPINION: Inept leaders legitimize -4
Proud to be an Independent CANADIAN Publication
FREE
Vol. 19, No. 26, Wednesday, May 22, 2024 www.LamontLeader.com
Alberta Deputy Premier responds to Chipman letter requesting more RCMP Not enough applicants causing lower number of police BY JANA SEMENUIK The Village of Chipman council sent a letter in March to Premier Danielle Smith requesting that funding be provided to hire 400 more RCMP officers. The letter was sent after a request from the National Police Federation to municipalities in the area asking for their support. “They are requesting support for additional funding needed to hire 400 more RCMP positions,” said Chipman administrative assistant Keiron Willis at the March council meeting. In the letter Chipman Mayor Morris Langevin said millions have been collected from small municipalities since the Province changed the funding model in 2021, but the provincial investments to the RCMP have been minimal. Alberta Deputy Premier, and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services, Mike Ellis, responded to Langevin’s letter and confirmed that staffing vacancies are a concern for the government and com-
Fort Saskatchewan RCMP Sgt. Barry munities. He also said the federal government LaRocque gave a presentation to the is not staffing the Province of Alberta Chipman council on May 13 and conadequately with full time RCMP mem- firmed that RCMP are having a hard time with a low bers. number of applica“On average, tions. Alberta is currently “Right now 21.6 percent underwe’re having a hard staffed across RCMP time,” he said. detachments when “Through depo, we compared to the fulltry to put through 40 time equivalents we troops of 32 people are paying for. It is per troop. To do that our understanding we need to have that this number is 10,000 people apply. about 17 percent,” he Two years ago, we said, adding that sevhad 1,600 people in eral municipalities Province of Alberta the entire country shared with him Deputy Premier Mike Ellis apply so we (didn’t their vacancies were have) enough people to put through upwards of 30 percent. “In short, we are supposed to have depo.” Larocque said the RCMP have been 1,911 officers in the communities and we only have 1,498 which means we actively recruiting to turn things are paying approximately $16 million around. “Now we’re out proactively recruitfor close to 200 on-leave positions that the federal government has not filled.” ing. We never had to do that years ago,
now we have proactive measures to try and get people to do that,” he said. Meanwhile, Minister Ellis said in his letter to Mayor Langevin, that the provincial government continues to support the RCMP and this year provided additional funding. “This year, we provided an additional $20.9 million to communities covered by the Provincial Police Service Agreement to bolster the RCMP’s capacity to respond to crime across the province,” he said. “However many of the additional positions that have been funded remain unfilled despite the increased need.” Minister Ellis said that as a result, the Indigenous and Municipal Police Transition Study Grant Program was developed for municipalities, First Nations and Metis Settlements across the province to explore alternative policing models for their communities. He said more information on applying for this grant can be found on the province’s website.
Bruderheim Council considering prohibiting media from recording council meetings CAO presenting changes to meeting procedures and code of conduct bylaw BY JANA SEMENIUK The Town of Bruderheim council will consider a number of changes to their Meeting Procedures Bylaw brought forward by Chief Administrative Officer Phyllis Forsyth on the May 22 meeting agenda. Forsyth listed the considerations which include that councillors cannot participate in closed sessions remotely,
clarification on several item definitions, in addition to prohibiting the public and the media from recording the public council meetings. If passed, Bruderheim will be the only municipality in Lamont County to prohibit the media from recording the council meetings. The bylaw is being presented for first reading at the May 22 council
meeting and will need to undergo three readings before being passed. In addition, Forsyth also added an amendment to the Code of Conduct bylaw stating that a fine of up to $10,000 could be imposed for the disclosure of personal information, as recommended by Mayor Karl Hauch at the May 8 council meeting. Bruderheim Mayor Karl Hauch
could not respond by press time to questions around why the council is considering prohibiting the media from recording the council meetings. Bruderheim’s next council meeting is scheduled for May 22 at 7 p.m. in person at the Bruderheim Fire Station or online via the Town’s social media page.