Grande Prairie Police Service

Thank you to the Grande Prairie Police Commission for hosting members of the Grande Prairie Police Service as we close out an incredible year of work on the policing transition. GPPS values its strong relationship with the commission and is excited for the progress 2025 will bring.

Thank you to Cross Border Network for having GPPS Chief Dwayne Lakusta and City of Grande Prairie Mayor Jackie Clayton on to share updates on the policing transition.

November 30th marked the last day to apply to be a part of the second-ever recruit class for the Grande Prairie Police Service. We were thrilled to see increased interest, with nearly 300 people applying to be a part of Alberta's newest municipal police service. These applicants come from all parts of the country, as well as close to home, and boast a wide range of personal and professional experience. They will now go through the next steps of the application process, with selection for Class #2 to take place in January 2025. Stay tuned as applications for GPPS Recruit Class #3 open in the New Year. For more information on the requirements and process, visit gppolice.com/careers.

With the graduation of three new experienced officers earlier this week, the ranks of the Grande Prairie Police Service have grown to 16 sworn members, along with 12 recruits in training scheduled to graduate in February 2025. Of the 16 officers, five are currently assigned to the Grande Prairie RCMP detachment, including one highly skilled in forensic identification. Additionally, one officer is working out of the regional ALERT office, and another is assigned to the Caribou Child & Youth Centre. The remaining officers are focused on the transition team, as well as training and recruitment efforts. Due to the significant interest GPPS has seen from a strong calibre of applicants with diverse backgrounds and experience, the next recruit classes will increase in size to 14 members, with two classes scheduled for 2025, along with multiple experienced officer classes. Once sworn in, these police officers have full authority under Alberta's Police Act and bring the service closer to its full complement of 110 members. Also in development are many of GPPS' specialty units, including tactical, canine, and major crimes. These units will be local to Grande Prairie, without the need to be called in from other jurisdictions once GPPS becomes the police of primary jurisdiction for the City of Grande Prairie, expected to happen in early 2026. "The development of the GPPS team over the past year has been remarkable, and we're excited to continue our rapid growth in 2025," says Chief Dwayne Lakusta. "We are laying the foundation for a municipal police service that is truly built for the community, with the strong support of the Grande Prairie Police Commission, as well as municipal and provincial officials."

Grande Prairie Police Service Chief Dwayne Lakusta is honoured to have been gifted a buffalo robe by Chief Grant Buckskin of the Blood Tribe Police Service at the Fall 2024 Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police Conference. The hide was designed and painted by Monty Wolf Child of the Kainai First Nation, who explains it is intended to protect whoever wears it. The design includes symbols of internal organs, representing protection, as well as horses and buffalo essential to Blackfoot culture. There are seven of each animal painted, which also have symbols of internal organs and lifelines on them to give them life. "I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Monty Wolf Child and Chief Buckskin," says Chief Lakusta. "It was an immense honour to receive such a beautiful gift, and I truly appreciate your generosity."

The ranks of the Grande Prairie Police Service (GPPS) continue to grow with the graduation of its second Experienced Officer Program. A ceremony was held the morning of November 25, 2024, at the Teresa Sargent Hall in front of a crowd of dignitaries, colleagues, and family. The three graduates have strong ties to the Grande Prairie area, each having either grown up in the city, most recently worked out of the Grande Prairie detachment, or previously worked in the area and eager to return. They bring experience in dismantling organized crime in a multi-agency enforcement unit, rural policing, and child forensic interviewing, and are already serving as mentors to GPPS’ first recruit class underway. “The Grande Prairie Police Service is committed to building a progressive and responsive policing model that will modernize law enforcement in our community,” says Chief Dwayne Lakusta. “The recent addition of three experienced officers has already enhanced our presence in Grande Prairie. These officers will play a pivotal role in patrol duties, training, and specialized functions as we continue our journey toward becoming the police of primary jurisdiction police service by early 2026.”  “It is impressive to see the Grande Prairie Police Service continue to hit significant transition milestones and to see the calibre of experienced officers it is attracting,” says Grande Prairie Police Commission Chair Dan Wong. “The commission is excited to see the extensive experience these members bring to the service.” “The City is proud to see the graduation of the second Experience Officer Program class, and the continued growth of the Grande Prairie Police Service,” says City of Grande Prairie Mayor Jackie Clayton. “We’re thankful for the ongoing progress the GPPS is making in their transition and the positive impact they are already making in building connections and supporting community safety.” GPPS’ Experienced Officer Program lasts approximately five weeks and includes training on the Police Act, trauma-informed care, Indigenous teachings, firearms, mental health first aid, conducted energy weapons, unconscious bias, immediate action rapid deployment, first aid, policies, and more. All the training is delivered locally with community partners. Two of the experienced officers have begun working alongside members of the RCMP, joining three of their GPPS colleagues at the Grande Prairie detachment, while the third is a full-time resource to the Caribou Child & Youth Centre. GPPS is also excited about the progress of its first recruit class, scheduled to graduate on February 21, 2025. This class, consisting of 12 members, will further strengthen the presence of GPPS officers in Grande Prairie. Currently, applications are being processed for the second recruit class, which is set to begin in March 2025, as well as for the third Experienced Officer Program, scheduled to start in January 2025. 

Here are the highlights of last week's Grande Prairie Police Commission meeting.

The Grande Prairie Police Service would like to congratulate its three newest Community Peace Officers, who recently graduated from the Community Peace Officer Induction Program offered by Lac La Biche County, Alberta Public Safety and Emergency Services, and Portage College. Alexis Ballicud, Miguel Lopez, and Alek Marcoux will now serve the City of Grande Prairie in enforcing community bylaws and provincial offences, answering non-emergency calls and conducting traffic collision investigations. Congratulations!

The Grande Prairie Police Service and Grande Prairie Enforcement Services joined the Grande Prairie Police Commission and community at the Grande Prairie & District Chamber of Commerce's Your Region, Your Voice event Thursday night. It was great to hear how the region's elected representatives plan to work together on issues affecting the area, and to envision GPPS' role in that regional development.

The Grande Prairie Police Service Experienced Officer Program #2 recently went through an orientation of the Grande Prairie RCMP detachment. Following the last week of the program, most of these officers will begin working alongside members of the RCMP, joining three of their GPPS colleagues. The orientation is part of additional training that experienced officers receive to familiarize themselves with RCMP policies and procedures, ensuring a consistent approach to policing for citizens during the transition.