The Grande Prairie Police Service (GPPS) will become the city’s police of jurisdiction at the 6 a.m. shift change on Oct. 21, ahead of an official ceremony later that afternoon. The transition is two years earlier than expected and makes GPPS the first municipal police service established in Alberta in 70 years.

Chief of Police Dwayne Lakusta said the service will have 80 sworn members when the change becomes formal. Police headquarters, phone numbers and 911 service will stay the same, and the focus is on maintaining service without interruption so residents continue to receive the policing they expect.

“This is two years ahead of when it was expected policing would fully transition,” Lakusta said.

The city’s decision to create GPPS was shaped by two reports: an internal Police Services Model Review and an external transition study conducted by consulting firm MNP. After a nine-hour meeting that began on March 6, 2023, and continued past midnight, Grande Prairie city councillors voted 8-1 in favour of the proposal that became the new police service.

GPPS officers have worked alongside the RCMP for more than a year, so residents may see little immediate difference in day-to-day policing. During the service’s development, the city also focused on adding access to mental health and housing resources. Grande Prairie Enforcement Services and the Mobile Outreach Program, two other active city services, were brought under the GPPS umbrella.

The new policing model was designed around community needs, including mental health, housing and crime prevention. In a May 6 press release, Lakusta said GPPS would lead with compassion and respect while using enforcement when needed.

As GPPS becomes fully operational, it plans to introduce tools and services intended to improve its work. Lakusta said the most visible changes will involve branding and communications. Residents will see GPPS branding in the community, more community engagement initiatives and communications issued directly by the service through news releases, social media and its website. Some changes will appear immediately, while others will be introduced over time as the service matures and expands its capabilities.

One planned safety measure is a biometric monitoring system for eight holding cells, announced in September. It is intended to monitor detainees continuously and without contact by tracking breathing patterns and movement, helping prevent medical emergencies, including deaths in custody. The announcement follows the deaths of Derek Glodek and Addison Hartzler, who were arrested by the RCMP in 2021 and 2022, respectively, and died in Grande Prairie cells.

GPPS also expects to launch a drone program quickly. Drones will be used to document collision and crime scenes, support incident response and search for missing persons.

Building the service has involved creating training programs, buying equipment and drawing on available resources to develop a policing model for Grande Prairie. Lakusta said the work has taken place over three years and included recruiting officers and civilian staff, developing policies and procedures, delivering training, acquiring equipment and technology, and establishing systems to support a modern police service.

“Over the past three years, a tremendous amount of work has gone into building the Grande Prairie Police Service, including recruiting officers and civilian staff, developing policies and procedures, implementing training programs, acquiring equipment and technology, and establishing the systems needed to support a modern police service,” Lakusta said.

The Oct. 21 transition will mark the culmination of that work. Lakusta said residents will notice new uniforms, vehicles and branding, while the service’s priority will remain professional policing and community safety.

“While they (residents) will notice new uniforms, vehicles, and branding, our priority remains providing professional policing services and keeping our community safe. This transition has involved the dedication and hard work of many people. We are looking forward to serving residents as Grande Prairie’s municipal police service.”

Based on reporting by Edmonton Journal.