Calgary’s Police Budget

Under Alberta’s Police Act, our Commission is responsible for providing City Council with a proposed annual budget for the Calgary Police Service. After Council approves the total budget, our Commission approves how that budget will be spent. The police chief then has the responsibility of administering the funds.

The police budget is approved every four years as part of the City of Calgary’s Service Plans and Budgets. The Service can then ask for budget adjustments each year from both our Commission and Council, if needed. Adjustments are also automatically made when new collective agreements or Council-approved pay scale adjustments change the cost of employee wages, or inflationary pressures are different than expected.

Measuring police performance

The Police Act requires that our Commission ensure there is enough police funding to maintain adequate, effective and efficient policing in Calgary. The Provincial Policing Standards and Policing Oversight Standards define these to mean that the Service can meet all legislated requirements and policing standards, and can provide the community with any desired level of service above the minimum in a cost effective manner.

Our Commission has also set 12 indicators that are used to measure police performance in Calgary in addition to the Provincial Policing Standards.

The Service reports through our Commission to the City of Calgary on their budget and performance each year so that the police budget can be included in overall municipal financial reporting to Council.

Police budget in 2023 and 2024

*Information shown in the above images is also available in this PDF version.

 

Our Commission’s operating budget is captured in the overall police budget (as outlined above), but it is managed separately by the Commission’s executive director. The Commission’s portion of the police budget is $1.2 million annually.

The Commission budget covers the costs of office space, citizen and employee surveys, external consulting expertise (as needed), commissioner honorariums as set by Council, and the Commission’s staff and operations. Commission employees ensure that commissioners have the independent in-house expertise and support they need to fulfill their legislated duties and provide effective police oversight.

Other budget information