The MD of Bonnyville says they’re looking into enhanced abilities for their peace officers as they deal with a new police funding model. The MD says over the next five years they’ll spend an estimated $4.2 million on RCMP services in the Bonnyville and Cold Lake region.
In a recent letter from the provincial Minister of Justice and Solicitor General Doug Schweitzer, the province says it will pick up the tab for one RCMP GIS (General Investigation Section) officer in Bonnyville, but not the three others that are in Cold Lake. The MD says they’ve sent a letter to the minister asking if the other positions could be funded as well.
Also included in that letter is the request that MD peace officers be given more powers. The MD says that would allow the peace officers to respond to calls similar to what the RCMP is doing.
The MD says the new police billing is a phased-in approach starts with paying 10 percent of the cost in 2020, 15 percent in 2021, 20 percent in 2022 and 30 percent in 2023 and 2024.