With a recent call by the province that asks peace officers to align with law enforcement to combat fentanyl in Alberta, Mayor Genung explains what this could mean for Cochrane.
Genung explained that over 30 communities across the province received a letter from Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services Mike Ellis. At the time of the interview, Genung explained that this was all to address the proposed 25 per cent tariffs by President Donald Trump.
“In Cochrane, that would be out municipal enforcement officers with [law enforcement], to basically show the US Government and President Trump that we take the threats of these tariffs very seriously and we’re stepping up the game on fentanyl, social civil disorder, and the border,” Genung said.
In terms of what this means for Cochrane, Genung explained that there isn’t really any big deviation from what currently goes on in the community.
“We already have a detachment where municipal enforcement and the RCMP already work in the same building and are on the same channels, and coordinate their efforts through the RCMP in serious crimes already,” he explained. “So, on the ground here in Cochrane, it’s probably something that we’re not going to notice already.”
As the head of the Mid-sized Cities Mayor Caucus, Genung explained that the reason they were asked to participate is because there are communities in Alberta that do not have the same police model as Cochrane.
“Across the province, there’s a different model in every community,” he said. “So, what the province is trying to do is get us all on the same page, on the same channel, in an effort so the federal government can say that we have 800 pairs of boots on the group that carry out a coordinated effort on what President Trump is calling a fentanyl crisis on the border.”
When it comes to serious crimes including drug trafficking or firearm related incidents, Genung said municipal enforcement officers are limited in what they can do.
“They would be calling in the RCMP in that regard anyways, so really, what this does is allow the communication between all of those levels of law enforcement, whether it be Calgary City Police, Cochrane Municipal Enforcement, of the Sheriffs in the province. They’re all coordinating the efforts around the fentanyl, social and civil disorder, and border security.”
In terms of actually combating the issue of fentanyl, Genung said that it will remain to be seen. A large proponent of the federal plan was to assure the American government that Canada is taking their call to action very seriously.
Without a doubt, Genung outlines that fentanyl is a very serious drug that can cause damage to families.
“Is it running rampant on the Streets of Cochrane? No, I’m not hearing that,” Genung said. “I’m not even hearing that in the province, but it’s here in some form, and I think that any action that we’re taking saves lives or deters shipments of fentanyl into our province or into our community.”
At the end of the day, Genung explained that this was just Alberta’s way of helping the Canadian government prevent the implementation of tariffs. Prior to the enforcement of the tariffs, Genung was hopeful that they would not be enacted, adding that Minister of Finance Nate Horner has a plan in place for Alberta.
“Minister Horner has indicated that they’ve budgeted for over an average of 15 per cent tariffs to be imposed on our province and country over the next months,” he said. “So hopefully, we can negotiate our way out and see ourselves back to an optimistic prosperous government.”
