New Police Officers Grant

In March 2008, the Alberta Solicitor General and Minister of Public Security was given a mandate by Premier Stelmach to lead the initiative of adding 300 police officers over a three year period. All allocations of this New Police Officer Grant (NPOG) have been completed.

Municipalities responsible for providing their own municipal policing (towns/cities/urban service areas over 5,000 in population) were eligible for this funding initiative.

Grant agreements are signed by the Solicitor General and Minister of Public Security and the Municipality representative. No applications are required but municipalities had to meet the funding eligibility requirements to hire these new officers, including:

prepare a business case showing where and how new officers will be used,
demonstrate they have the capacity to hire and train the new officers,
be fully staffed (up to authorized strength);

The program provides a grant to the municipality of up to $100,000 per position, per year. Grant payment is prorated based on when the position was filled. While the initial grant agreement was three years, the funding is ongoing but is dependent on funding allocations.

Promoting strong and vibrant communities and reducing crime so that Albertans feel safe continues to be a key focus of Alberta Solicitor General and Public Security, and these 300 new officers are an excellent resource helping the province deliver on that priority.