LAC LA BICHE - When officials with the town of Beaumont announced they had plans to build training centre with some similar programming to the one already operating in Lac La Biche County, there were some eyebrows and concerns raised locally.
Lac La Biche County's elected leaders opted to put a million-dollar commitment into their own law enforcement training centre to solidify its place before another similar site could open.
But Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche MLA Brian Jean, who is also the minister of Alberta Jobs, Economy and Northern Development, doesn't see the issue as a competitive one. He also doesn't see the issue as an immediate one
"It's first of all, an unsolicited proposal for a facility," said Jean of the proposal that was sent out as a provincial government press release two weeks ago. "... Now cabinet will consider that — if the proposal gets to cabinet — but there's lots of steps to happen before that happens."
Despite the provincial news release on the Beaumont request including quotes from the RCMP and the Edmonton Police Service, plus a description saying, "This proposed project would deliver the most up-to-date transportation and law enforcement training programs in a modern and new facility, benefiting all Albertans in and around Beaumont," Jean doesn't see the Beaumont proposal as a request for a law enforcement centre like the current one offered in Lac La Biche County. He sees it for more of a large-vehicle driver-training facility.
"It's essentially a training ground for driving big trucks," Jean told Lakeland This Week, explaining that a big push behind the project comes from the Alberta Motor Transport Association. "That proposal doesn't include any actual operating programs for law enforcement training, which Lac La Biche obviously does ... I mean you don't just who up at a garage and start learning how to do law enforcement."
He says there are driving components to law enforcement training, and in time, there could be added programming if the Beaumont site goes ahead — but the Lac La Biche training facility is currently the stand-alone location for the provincially-recognized training.
"These are programs specifically set up by the province and by other professionals and you have to set up for years and years. Lac La Biche has essentially one of the top training programs."
In the very early stages of the request from Beaumont — compared to the two years of operations and years of planning that has gone into the Lac La Biche County training facility, Jean doesn't see any reason for serious concerns about competition.
"I think we (Lac La Biche County) have a serious competitive advantage over everybody else," he said, explaining that at some point in time — if the Beaumont project goes ahead — the two sites could compliment each other. "It's not going to happen overnight."
On a provincial level, said Jean, speaking as the minister responsible for the province's economy, an eventual driver-training site in Beaumont and the continuing program in Lac La Biche County could be complimentary, and add significant service levels to the province.
"Lac La Biche County has a center of excellence for training, and perhaps so could Beaumont — just in a different way," he said, adding that he fully supports the recent million-dollar commitment made by the municipality to the training program. "I truly hope that La La Biche County is part of a national and even international level of training that we can continue to expand and be the showcase of the world for what we can do in law enforcement, right here in Alberta."
Continued Training
The Law Enforcement Training program offered in Lac La Biche County has seen more than 300 individual courses offered to existing law enforcement officers from across the province over the last two years. The program also offers a full Peace Officer Induction Program that has so far graduated 50 new officers into the law enforcement system. The program is looking to expand its firearms training program and its emergency driver training courses. The training centre is a partnership between Alberta Justice, Portage College and the municipality.
Lac La Biche County's Manager of Enforcement Services Chris Clark will continue to oversee the training centre as it moves forward with the expansion plans. Clark, who announced two weeks ago that he would be leaving the community to promote law enforcement training in another part of the province, recently made an agreement with Lac La Biche County officials to remain as the primary supervisor of the municipal program.
