POLICING ALBERTA

EDMONTON — It would cost Alberta hundreds of millions of dollars more to set up and run a provincial police force, but it ultimately could provide more cost-effective law enforcement, says a report.

Alberta Justice Minister Kaycee Madu said Friday he’s confident the government could find the money to fund it and would not raise taxes or seek more money from municipalities.

A survey done for the report suggested that two-thirds of Albertans do not wish to abandon the RCMP.

The panel said it heard the opposite from many in rural areas and was told the national force has become too bureaucratically inflexible and that smaller communities are not getting enough front-line officers.