Alberta unveils its own police force as Ottawa looks away; Meet the man in charge

Alberta has officially launched its provincial police agency and named former Calgary police deputy chief Sat Parhar as its first chief.

Premier Danielle Smith announced Wednesday(July 2) that the new agency will be called the Alberta Sheriffs Police Service and will be headquartered in Calgary. The province says the force is not intended to fully replace the RCMP, but will serve as an alternative policing option for municipalities and support existing RCMP operations where needed.

“We want to make sure that everybody feels that they’ve got the policing that they need close to home,” Smith said at a Calgary news conference. She added that several municipalities have already expressed interest in the new service.


Smith said the move is also part of Alberta’s long-term plan to prepare for the possible end of federal RCMP contracts in 2032, when Ottawa's current policing agreements with provinces and municipalities are set to expire.

“Alberta’s government is preparing and acting instead of waiting and reacting,” Smith said. “Our goal is to put solutions in place before serious challenges develop.”

Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis, a former Calgary police officer, confirmed that the new agency will be a Crown corporation reporting to a civilian oversight board, not directly to the government.

As of April, Alberta employed more than 1,200 sheriffs tasked with responsibilities such as traffic enforcement, inmate transport, and investigations into gang-related crime. About half of those sheriffs already perform police-like duties. It remains unclear how many will be transferred to the new force.

Parhar, who retired from the Calgary Police Service in 2019, was previously investigated by Alberta’s police watchdog for allegedly obstructing justice, but he was cleared of any wrongdoing. At the announcement, he said his first priorities include hiring an executive team and establishing recruitment and training standards.

“We are building a police service that reflects Alberta, its people, its communities and its future,” Parhar said.

The Alberta government has allocated $6 million in this year’s budget to support the force’s setup, including hiring key leadership positions. An additional $29 million was committed earlier this year to expand sheriff roles at Alberta’s borders.

Opposition NDP public safety critic David Shepherd criticized the move, calling it a “zombie idea” that the government has continued to pursue despite public resistance.

“On the one hand, they’re saying we’ll have a referendum. On the other hand, they’re moving forward and not doing any consultation,” Shepherd said.