October 20, 2025
Edmonton, AB – On the heels of the Alberta Government’s final Alberta Next “engagement” session, new Pollara Strategic Insights public opinion research conducted for the National Police Federation (NPF) shows that Albertans remain united in their priorities, and replacing the Alberta RCMP isn’t one of them.
In fact, it’s even less popular today than it was five years ago.
This latest survey, conducted in August 2025, confirmed that support for the RCMP remains strong while skepticism about the Government of Alberta’s creation of a costly provincial police service continues to grow. Albertans remain deeply concerned about the lack of transparency, meaningful consultation, and clear evidence behind this ongoing effort.
“Albertans have been clear time and again, they don’t want to replace the RCMP,” said Brian Sauvé, President and C.E.O. of the National Police Federation. “They want real solutions to real challenges like affordability, healthcare, and community safety, not a $550-plus million political project no one asked for.”
Key Survey Findings:
- Affordability and cost of living remain the top priority for Albertans, far outpacing policing and public safety
- Changing which police force is responsible for local communities ranked 11 of 12 measures aimed at improving Alberta’s place in Canada. Only holding a referendum on separation ranked lower.
- 81% agree there are more important priorities for the Province than changing who polices local communities.
- 76% of Albertans in RCMP-served areas are satisfied with their policing.
- 71% say the public has not been properly consulted about replacing the RCMP.
These findings mirror those from the previous United Conservative Party’s own Fair Deal Panel (May 2020), where replacing the RCMP ranked second-last (14th of 15 priorities) with 35% support. Five years later, in the NPF’s 2025 survey, the issue again ranked second-last (11th of 12), dropping further to 31% support.
“Five years, two public engagement exercises, and millions of taxpayer dollars later, nothing has changed,” added Sauvé. “Albertans still oppose this plan and want a real say in “What’s Next”.”
Despite these clear signals, the Government of Alberta continues to advance a politicized policing project with no public mandate, no detailed cost breakdown, and no credible evidence it would enhance safety or service.
Albertans deserve transparency, accountability, and smart investments in policing, not a risky, expensive rebrand that weakens community safety.
Independent municipal reviews across the province have repeatedly found that replacing the RCMP would increase costs, reduce service levels, and destabilize rural and small-town policing. Meanwhile, the RCMP continues to strengthen recruitment and service delivery, including a full troop of new Members coming to Alberta.
“The future of policing in Alberta must be built on facts, not political fiction. And the facts couldn’t be clearer: Albertans support their RCMP,” said Sauvé.
The National Police Federation calls on the Government of Alberta to stop this unpopular and costly push and instead invest in strengthening the RCMP services that already work and already have the support of Albertans.
Survey link: https://npf-fpn.com/app/uploads/2025/10/NPF-Alberta-Wave-8-August-2025-Public-Research.pdf
Pollara Strategic Insights conducted an online survey among a randomly selected sample of 1200 adult Alberta residents between August 6-20, 2025. As a guideline, a probability sample of this size carries a margin of error of ± 2.8%, 19 times out of 20.
About the National Police Federation:
The National Police Federation (NPF) represents ~20,000 RCMP Members serving across Canada and internationally. We are the largest police union in Canada. The NPF is focused on improving public safety for all Canadians, including our Members by advocating for much-needed investment in the public safety continuum. This includes investments in police resourcing and modern equipment, as well as social programs including health, addiction, and housing supports to enhance safety and livability in the many communities we serve, large and small, across Canada.
For more information: https://npf-fpn.com/ and KeepAlbertaRCMP.ca
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Media contact:
Sarah Kavanagh
Communications and Media Relations Advisor
[email protected]
