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Today, from direct observation, the average Albertan
is probably aware only that police services in the province are
provided either by the RCMP or by municipal police officers. In
fact, there are four distinctive types of police services
currently provided in Alberta: RCMP policing, municipal policing,
First Nations policing, and regional policing, which has been a
legal option under the Alberta Police Act since 1988. (Alberta,
1991, p.13) Historically the arrangements that have led to the
several types of policing are quite distinct, as are the needs
served by the several police services.
As the historical sketch given in the introduction of this paper
regarding the introduction and dissolution of the federal police
in Alberta indicates, explicit agreements between the two orders
of government (or their abrogation) have proven decisive. In
addition, however, the form of policing in any given community is
also conditioned by regulations reflecting the population of that
community and by the option of a discretionary act by the local
municipal government. This section will briefly introduce the
different types of policing arrangements present in Alberta and
summarize the perceived advantages and disadvantages of
each.
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