For the first time in 83 years, the RCMP isn’t responsible for policing the City of Grande Prairie.
At 6 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 21, the Grande Prairie Police Service (GPPS) took over as the city’s police. It’s the first new municipal police force in Alberta in about 70 years, and it got there two years ahead of schedule.
“I want residents to know that we are ready for this transition,” said Chief Dwayne Lakusta.
The same day, the province announced another $2 million for the final stage of the switch. That includes the city’s Public Safety Communications Centre, which now answers local police calls.
The officers have changed. The phone numbers haven’t.
What changes for residents
GPPS officers now respond to police calls inside city limits. You’ll start seeing GPPS uniforms and vehicles instead of RCMP ones.
The contact information stays the same:
Emergency: 911
Non-emergency police line: 780-830-5700
Police headquarters: 10202 99 Street
Grande Prairie Enforcement Services and Mobile Outreach now work hand in hand with police. Depending on the call, dispatchers can send an officer, an enforcement officer or an outreach worker.
“We are proud to welcome the Grande Prairie Police Service as our police service,” said Mayor Jackie Clayton.
Is the RCMP still in Grande Prairie?
Yes. The RCMP is no longer the city’s police, but it still polices the County of Grande Prairie and other nearby communities. The Clairmont RCMP detachment also keeps an office in the city.
GPPS says it will keep working with the RCMP and other agencies when help is needed.
If you live just outside city limits, the RCMP is still your police.
What the $2 million is for
Deputy Premier Mike Ellis, Alberta’s Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services, announced the money in Grande Prairie on Oct. 21.
It goes toward the last stage of the transition, including the Public Safety Communications Centre. The centre is at City on 99, and it started taking police calls the moment GPPS took over.
“It’s going to help with the dispatch centre, which is really operational as of 0600 this morning,” Ellis said. “This truly is a state of the art facility, this is going to be a huge asset for up here in northwestern Alberta.”
It’s the third time the province has helped pay for the switch:
| Year | Provincial funding |
|---|---|
| 2023 | $9.7 million |
| 2025 | $7 million |
| October 2026 | $2 million |
| Total | About $18.7 million |
A dispatch centre that covers almost half of Alberta
The centre’s reach goes far beyond Grande Prairie.
According to the city, it already dispatches for more than 60 fire departments, covering about 47 per cent of Alberta’s landmass. That’s area on a map, not population, but it means a huge part of northern Alberta’s fire calls run through Grande Prairie.
Before the handover, police 911 calls in the city were answered at a dispatch centre elsewhere in Alberta. Now they’re answered locally. The centre moved into its new space at City on 99 in September to get ready, and it also handles calls for Enforcement Services and Mobile Outreach.
It has also switched to Next Generation 911, a newer digital network built to be more reliable and secure. Nothing changes for callers. You still can’t text, send photos or send video to 911 yet.
Why Grande Prairie left the RCMP
In March 2023, after a council meeting that ran more than nine hours and past midnight, councillors voted 8-1 to create a city police service.
The city wanted more control over policing priorities, staffing and spending. It also wanted police, enforcement and outreach working more closely together on mental health, homelessness and community safety. Reviews done before the vote suggested a local force could run at about the same cost as the RCMP.
The switch happened gradually. GPPS officers started working alongside RCMP members in 2024, while the new service hired staff, wrote procedures and built its systems.
How many officers does GPPS have?
GPPS had 80 sworn officers at the handover, The Canadian Press reported. It’s working toward a full team of 110, and hiring continues.
The service has:
Forensic investigators
Police dogs
A drone unit for missing-person searches, collision investigations and crime scenes
It has also put biometric monitoring in its holding cells. The system tracks breathing and movement to help prevent deaths in custody. It was added after two men died in Grande Prairie RCMP cells in 2021 and 2022.
What the switch has cost
The city estimated that setting up the new police service would cost about $19 million. That’s one-time transition costs: hiring, training, vehicles, equipment, technology and buildings.
That’s separate from what it costs to run the service each year. It’s also not the same as the $18.7 million the province has put in. The two numbers happen to be close, but they measure different things.
The city has projected that running its own police will cost about the same as the RCMP, or less. Future budgets will show whether that holds up.
City council approves the police budget, and the Grande Prairie Police Commission provides civilian oversight.
The RCMP signs off after 83 years
The Alberta RCMP marked the change with a statement on Oct. 21.
Its history in the region goes back more than 120 years, to patrols by the North-West Mounted Police. It became the city’s police in 1943.
Deputy Commissioner Trevor Daroux, commanding officer of the Alberta RCMP, thanked the officers, city staff and community partners who served Grande Prairie over the decades. He also congratulated GPPS on the transition.
What happens next
GPPS will keep hiring and building toward its 110 officers. Future city budgets will show what municipal policing really costs compared with the RCMP.
For residents, the change is simple. Inside city limits, call GPPS. Outside them, it’s still the RCMP. And in an emergency, it’s still 911.
Sources
Grande Prairie Police Service, “GPPS assumes responsibility for policing Grande Prairie,” Oct. 21, 2026: https://www.gppolice.com/news/gpps-assumes-responsibility-policing-grande-prairie
Grande Prairie Police Service, Transition: https://gppolice.com/transition
Grande Prairie Police Service, Municipal Policing FAQ: https://www.gppolice.com/transition/municipal-policing-faq
Alberta RCMP, statement on the Grande Prairie transition, Oct. 21, 2026: https://rcmp.ca/en/alberta/news/2026/10/4358046
City of Grande Prairie, Public Safety Communications Centre: https://cityofgp.com/city-services/emergency-services/public-safety-communications-centre-pscc
City of Grande Prairie, “PSCC moves to City on 99 ahead of police transition”: https://cityofgp.com/culture-community/news-events/news/enforcement-services/pscc-moves-city-99-ahead-police-transition
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