TAMRMS#: B06
9.2
REQUEST FOR DECISION
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RCMP Crime Analyst Authorization
Presented by: Aaron Giesbrecht, Acting Director, Emergency Services
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RECOMMENDED MOTION(S)
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That in accordance with Article 5 of the Municipal Police Service Agreement, the Mayor be authorized to formally request the Federal Government to increase the RCMP authorized complement of the St. Albert RCMP Detachment by adding 1 full-time support staff employee in a crime analyst position and that the total approved number of municipal employees be reduced by 1.00 when the RCMP fills the federal crime analyst position.
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SUMMARY
This report speaks to the request for Council to replace the vacant municipal employee crime analyst position with a federal RCMP employee crime analyst position in an effort to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of local analyst services.
ALIGNMENT TO COUNCIL DIRECTION OR MANDATORY STATUTORY PROVISION
Not applicable.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
In order to put forward the formal request to the Federal Government to add a federally employed Crime Analyst to the St. Albert RCMP detachment, a formal resolution of Council is required.
In accordance with the RCMP contract, the City is required to employ and provide all support staff (including analysts) that are deemed necessary by the RCMP to deliver on the obligations of the contract and local policing priorities that are set.
A local Crime Analyst was deemed necessary and the City has had this position in place since 2012. Although we have had periods of employee retention, over the last 5 to 6 years, a number of factors have emerged that have resulted in ongoing recruitment and retention challenges. These realities have resulted in reduced crime analyst services being provided to the local RCMP members which has reduced the RCMP’s effectiveness and efficiency in preventing and solving crimes.
While reviewing these challenges, the RCMP has advised the City that an alternative service delivery model is now available that has not been made available to municipalities in the past. In this option, the RCMP would employ and assign a federal employee to provide Crime Analyst services to the detachment similar to how they assign and deploy regular RCMP members to St. Albert. The employee would be stationed and working out of the St. Albert Detachment and the actual costs associated for the employee would be added to the regular quarterly RCMP invoice in accordance with the provisions of the RCMP contract.
The St. Albert Manager of Policing Services along with the RCMP Detachment Commander have reviewed this option and believe that it is a more practicable and sustainable service delivery option that will result in improved service delivery to the front line RCMP members and the community. Reasons for this recommendation include but are not limited to:
- the new analyst having increased access to databases that have not been historically available to municipal analysts,
- increased business continuity for short and long-term leaves by having increased access and coordination with the larger provincial RCMP analyst team, and
- increased oversight, mentoring and coaching from subject matter supervisors in the crime analysis field.
It is also important to note that like regular RCMP members, St Albert only gets billed for analyst costs when the employee is assigned and providing services.
Transitioning from a City supplied analyst to a the RCMP model is expected to be cost neutral.
If Administration’s recommended motion is passed, a letter would then be drafted for the Mayor’s signature, requesting the crime analyst, and sent to Ottawa for processing.
Once received, the RCMP will work to address the request “as soon as practicable”. This process is not immediate and although we do not anticipate it to take longer than six months, in accordance with the provisions of the contract, it could take upwards of a year before we have the position posted.
STAKEHOLDER COMMUNICATIONS OR ENGAGEMENT
On October 14th, 2025, Administration discussed the challenges and opportunity related to the crime analyst services with the St. Albert Policing Committee. Feedback received was positive and supportive of the recommended motion.
IMPACTS OF RECOMMENDATION(S)
Financial:
Funding that is currently allocated for the municipal crime analyst position will be moved from the appropriate municipal employee salary account to the RCMP Contract account.
Compliance & Legal:
None at this time.
Program or Service:
Moving to a RCMP Crime Analyst service delivery model will increase the continuity, stability and intelligence gathering capabilities of the service.
Organizational:
The municipal crime analyst position is vacant at this time, so there are no impacts to any municipal employees.
The municipal Crime Analyst position currently reports to the Manger of Policing. By transferring the position to the RCMP, a small amount of capacity will be freed up for the Manager.
A reduction in the total approved municipal employees will be completed when the RCMP confirms the addition of the federal crime analyst being assigned to the St. Albert detachment.
Risks
The City will have no direct control over the crime analyst’s salary, performance, or candidate that is selected. Having said this, Administration believes that the benefits of the new model outweigh the risks.
ALIGNMENT TO PRIORITIES IN COUNCIL’S STRATEGIC PLAN
Not applicable
ALIGNMENT TO LEVELS OF SERVICE DELIVERY
F.4.3 RCMP Police Service - Contract with Public Safety Canada that designates the RCMP as the Municipal Police Service for St. Albert.
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Report Date: December 2, 2025
Author(s): Aaron Giesbrecht
Department: Emergency Services
Department Director: Aaron Giesbrecht
Managing Director: Diane McMordie
Chief Administrative Officer: William Fletcher