With just three months remaining until the Grande Prairie Police Service becomes the police of jurisdiction for the City of Grande Prairie, preparations are accelerating as the service continues to expand its operational capacity, strengthen specialized policing capabilities, and prepare for the October 21, 2026 transition.
The service remains on track to complete the transition two years ahead of schedule, with GPPS officers continuing to work alongside the Grande Prairie RCMP while preparing to assume full responsibility for policing services in the city. On October 21, policing services will continue uninterrupted, and residents will continue to use the same emergency and non-emergency phone numbers of 9-1-1 and 780-830-5700 to access police services.
“In just three months, the Grande Prairie Police Service will become the police of jurisdiction for our city,” says GPPS Chief of Police Dwayne Lakusta. “We have built a strong team of trained, experienced, and locally focused officers who are already serving Grande Prairie. As we approach this important milestone, our focus is on ensuring every system and service unit is fully operational so we can deliver responsive, community-driven policing that reflects the needs and priorities of our residents.”
Recruit Class #4 is progressing through training and is scheduled to graduate in October 2026. Recruitment is also underway for Class #5, scheduled to begin in early 2027. The service continues to strengthen its experienced ranks as well, with Experienced Officer Program #7 recently completed and Experienced Officer Program #8 beginning later this month.
When fully operational, GPPS will provide a range of enhanced policing capabilities dedicated exclusively to Grande Prairie. These include an in-house tactical team, Criminal Investigative Section, Specialized Investigations Section, forensic services, a polygraph examiner, canine teams, and drone operations. These specialized resources will allow GPPS to respond to local needs with efficiency, coordination, and accountability.
Recent additions to the service’s fleet include its first police motorcycle, restored by the City of Grande Prairie's Fleet Services team with support from Mighty Peace Harley-Davidson. The motorcycle will support traffic enforcement, community engagement, and special events, with a second motorcycle expected to join the fleet in the future.
The service’s drone program will support operations such as searches for missing persons, crime scene documentation, collision mapping, and response to crimes in progress. GPPS is also continuing to develop community-focused policing initiatives through dedicated community engagement, youth engagement, and foot patrol teams, while supporting community safety efforts through partnerships such as #NotInMyCity.
