Mission Statement
"Proudly Serving our Communities”
Principles
- The role of the AACPO is to promote the Peace Officer Program throughout Alberta and to ensure it continues to meet the needs of our members. We will work with Alberta Public Safety and Emergency Services, Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police, Rural Municipalities of Alberta, Alberta Municipalities Association, and law enforcement partners on key issues relevant to our members.
- The AACPO will collaborate on Crime Reduction models that support our front-line policing partners, while maintaining the direct needs of our communities.
- We maintain that Authorized Employers have the ability to build a Peace Officer Program that will meet community needs and resolve that a tiered approach to policing provides for more effective service delivery.
- The Association will continue to offer a wide array of training opportunities for members and their Officers to help them build and maintain professional Peace Officer Programs.
Core Values
- Respect: To foster an environment in which everyone is valued and heard.
- Accountability: We are responsible for our actions and for contributing to the effectiveness of the public service.
- Integrity: We behave ethically and are open, honest, and fair.
- Excellence: We use innovation and continuous improvement to achieve excellence.
About Us
The Alberta Association of Community Peace Officers (AACPO) represents over 125 municipalities employing over 1,700 Community Peace Officers (CPO) throughout Alberta and beyond. CPO's are employed by Authorized Employer's under the Alberta Peace Officer Act and can provide enforcement of a variety of Federal, Provincial and Municipal statutes within their communities. While these officers are generally employed by Municipal Governments, the officers are appointed as Peace Officers by the Alberta Public Safety and Emergency Services ministry. Many of our members volunteer in a variety of areas within their communities including: Big Brothers Big Sisters, DARE, Search and Rescue, Sports Coaching and the Special Olympics just to name a few. Peace Officers are First Responders who regularly provide assistance at motor vehicle collisions and other emergency situations within their communities, they help keep us safe and provide that extra level of support to our Police, Fire and EMS crews.
History
The AACPO was founded as the Alberta Special Constable Association in 1989. The association was formed to represent the interest of rural Special Constables in face of growing pressures to restrict Special Constable use. Originally formed by 8 Special Constable agencies, the association now represents more than 125 agencies throughout Alberta. The AACPO accepts memberships from Authorized Employers under the Peace Officer Act and represents a growing diversity in the Law Enforcement continuum of Alberta.