Leduc Council commits to new funding for Police and Crisis Team

LEDUC -- City Council has voted in favour of continued funding for the Leduc Police and Crisis Team.

The LPACT was first established in April 2023 after the City of Leduc received grant funding through the Alberta Government's Building Safer Communities Fund. The funding was allocated by the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness to support community-led initiatives aimed at combating gun and gang violence, and to address knowledge gaps related to the impacts of intervention strategies.

A portion of the funding was used to support the creation of the Leduc Police and Crisis Team, which was established shortly after the grant was awarded in April 2023.  The team consists of one regular member of the RCMP and one psychologist from Alberta Health Services. They operate on a rotating schedule -- Monday to Thursday and Tuesday to Friday -- based on identified community needs.

At their August 18^th regular meeting, Leduc Council directed administration to submit a 2026 Service Level Adjustment through the budget process, proposing an option for ongoing funding to ensure the continuity of the LPACT team. The City says that the funding would support the continued operation of the team’s psychologist member, and the ongoing delivery of enhanced services to the citizens of Leduc.

"It's one of the many things that we're doing to address the homelessness epidemic in the city," said Councillor Ryan Pollard. "Certainty, no one measure is a solve all -- but this is a big one."