Alberta's Solicitor General Kathleen Ganley says communities should follow Red Deer County’s lead by using their own resources to hire more police officers.

Red Deer County recently hired a new officer, who’ll be housed at the Blackfalds Detachment, at a cost $115,000.

Typically the province considers new Police Officers as part of their contract with the RCMP but there are no anticipated additional positions for 2017 due to a cap on resources.

Ganley said although the province isn’t in a position to supply the funding at this time, she encourages communities to take on the expense if more policing is required.

“If those communities feel that they want to contribute to having greater police then we have a mechanism for them to do that."

“I think that it’s great that they would want to contribute to that because I think it’s a really important and critical function.”

Ganley ensures Central Albertans that even though there are no anticipated hiring’s, they are always looking for ways to increase efficiency and reduce crime.

“(By) ensuring that police are spending more time on the street and less time filling out paperwork, (by) ensuring we’re protecting those things and continuing to fund them (police) I think is another really important piece of addressing that (crime).”

https://www.lacombeonline.com/local/red-deer-county-to-foot-the-bill-for-new-rcmp-officer