The City of Grande Prairie, Alberta, is entering the final stage of its move to a locally managed police force, with the Grande Prairie Police Service set to take over all primary policing duties on October 21, 2026. This transition arrives two years ahead of the original plan, marking the first time in over 70 years that a new municipal police service has been established in Alberta.
The city currently has 70 officers in place and aims to have 91 on the job by the transition date. Eventually, the service plans to reach a total of 110 officers dedicated solely to the city. To meet these staffing goals, the organization is actively recruiting, with a fourth recruit class starting May 4, 2026, following a selection process that saw nearly 250 applicants. Recruitment is also already underway for a fifth class planned for early 2027.
The new service is adopting a different approach to local safety by integrating specialized roles that go beyond traditional patrol work. These include a Community Engagement Constable, an in-house tactical team, and a Police Addiction Support Officer who works alongside paramedics to respond to health-related calls. The department has also introduced its first police canine.
City council voted 8-1 in March 2023 to move forward with creating this local service and ending the contract with the RCMP. While the city expects the new service to remain within a budget that is lower than what the RCMP contract would have cost, the transition is supported by approximately $19 million in provincial grant funding. The RCMP will continue to serve surrounding communities through the newly renamed Clairmont RCMP detachment.
The service is led by Chief Dwayne Lakusta, who was appointed in August 2023. His leadership team and the overall operations are overseen by the Grande Prairie Police Commission, a civilian body that provides governance and reports on the service’s progress to city council.
