Budget 2025: What It Means for Public Safety / Justice
Alberta Budget 2025 invests in border security, expands prosecution capacity, and allocates $280M+ in justice capital over three years.
Public Safety Operating
$1,312M
+$46M (+3.7%)
Justice Operating
$700M
+$10M (+1.4%)
Public Security
$817M
+$44M (border security)
Justice Capital (3yr, combined)
$280M+
Facilities, border, courts
Sector Impact Summary
Public safety and justice receive targeted funding increases in Budget 2025, driven primarily by the government's border security initiative and growing demand on the court system. The Ministry of Public Safety and Emergency Services (PSES) has an operating budget of $1,312 million, up $46 million (3.7%) from 2024-25. The Ministry of Justice operating expense stands at $700 million, up $10 million (1.4%).
The headline measure is the new Interdiction Patrol Team within Alberta Sheriffs, which drives a $44 million increase in Public Security spending to $817 million. This team will patrol Alberta's 298-kilometre international border with the United States, targeting drug smuggling, gun trafficking, and illegal border crossings. The border security initiative reflects the government's position on the Canada-U.S. bilateral relationship and provincial sovereignty over border enforcement.
On the justice side, growing court case volumes are driving increases in Court and Justice Services ($276 million, up $12 million) and Alberta Crown Prosecution Services ($147 million, up $8 million). A new Human Trafficking Unit within Crown Prosecution enhances the province's capacity to pursue trafficking offences. The Family Justice Strategy is expanding from Edmonton and Calgary to Grande Prairie and five surrounding court locations.
Combined capital investment across PSES, Justice, and Infrastructure for justice-related facilities totals over $280 million over three years, including the $45 million Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Calgary, $26 million Court of Appeal in Calgary, and $25 million for the Alberta Border Security Initiative.
Key Budget Measures
Border Security Interdiction Patrol Team
The most prominent public safety measure is the establishment of a new Interdiction Patrol Team within Alberta Sheriffs. The $44 million increase in Public Security funding to $817 million supports the team's mandate to combat drug smuggling, gun trafficking, apprehension of persons crossing the border illegally, and other illegal activities along Alberta's international land border. Capital funding of $10 million in 2025-26 through the Alberta Border Security Initiative provides equipment and facilities.
Court and Justice Services Expansion
Court and Justice Services receives $276 million, a $12 million increase from 2024-25, to address higher court case volumes. The Family Justice Strategy, which provides alternative dispute resolution and support services for families undergoing separation and divorce, is expanding from Edmonton and Calgary to Grande Prairie and five surrounding court locations. This expansion brings these services to underserved communities in northern Alberta.
Human Trafficking Unit
A new dedicated Human Trafficking Unit within Alberta Crown Prosecution Services receives part of the $8 million increase to Crown Prosecution (now $147 million total). The unit will specialize in investigating and prosecuting trafficking enterprises, enhancing the province's capacity to hold perpetrators accountable and support victims.
Correctional Services
Correctional Services operating expense stands at $347 million for ten provincial correctional facilities. The increase is modest at approximately $4 million, despite potential new demands from the forthcoming Compassionate Intervention Act and population growth.
Alberta Emergency Management Agency
AEMA receives $84 million, a $3 million increase from 2024-25, for disaster risk reduction, public education, and emergency management preparedness. This base budget does not include actual disaster response costs, which are funded through the provincial contingency.
Legal Aid Alberta
The Legal Aid grant decreases by $22 million to $88 million, but the budget notes that current service levels are maintained through increased Alberta Law Foundation contributions. This represents a shift in funding source rather than a reduction in service.
Indigenous Police Services
Capital investment of $14 million over three years funds police service buildings for Tsuut'ina First Nation, Blood Tribe First Nation, and Lakeshore Regional Police Service, strengthening community-based policing in Indigenous communities.
Funding Changes
| Category | 2024-25 Forecast | 2025-26 Estimate | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| PSES Total Expense | $1,460M | $1,350M | -$110M |
| PSES Operating | $1,265M | $1,312M | +$46M (+3.7%) |
| Public Security | $773M | $817M | +$44M (+5.7%) |
| Justice Operating | $690M | $700M | +$10M (+1.4%) |
| Court and Justice Services | $264M | $276M | +$12M (+4.5%) |
| Crown Prosecution | $139M | $147M | +$8M (+5.8%) |
Source: Fiscal Plan 2025-28, Expense, pp. 81-82.
The PSES total expense appears to decline by $110 million, but this is due to $163 million in one-time disaster and emergency expense in 2024-25 not continuing. On the operating side, the ministry sees meaningful growth driven by border security.
Capital Investment
Combined justice and public safety capital exceeds $280 million over three years across multiple ministries:
Public Safety and Emergency Services ($52 million):
- Alberta Border Security Initiative: $10 million (2025-26)
- Indigenous Police Service Buildings: $14 million
- Sheriffs Branch Mobile and Portable Radio Evergreen: $11 million
- Alberta First Responders Radio Communications System: $7 million
- Sheriffs Communications Equipment Renewal: $5 million
Justice ($41 million):
- Justice Digital: $17 million
- Courthouse Video Conference Expansion: $8 million
- Justice Transformation Initiative: $7 million
Infrastructure Ministry -- Justice and Correctional Facilities ($187 million):
- Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (Calgary): $45 million
- Court of Appeal (Calgary): $26 million
- Calgary Remand Centre CCTV Upgrades: $12 million
- Other Justice and Correctional Facilities: $14 million
- Red Deer Justice Centre: $9 million
- Courthouse Renewal: $6 million
- Courthouse Security Assessment Implementation: $6 million
- Calgary Correctional Centre CCTV Upgrades: $3 million
Infrastructure Ministry -- Mental Health Facilities ($274 million):
- Specialized Mental Health and Addiction Facilities: $199 million
- Recovery Communities: $75 million
While the mental health facilities serve the health system, their intersection with the justice system through the Compassionate Intervention Act makes them relevant to the public safety assessment.
Source: Capital Plan Details by Ministry 2025-28; Fiscal Plan 2025-28, Capital Plan, p. 102.
Risks
Border Security Enforcement Challenges (High). The new Interdiction Patrol Team must secure a 298-kilometre border in a complex geopolitical environment. The operational challenges of border enforcement, including intelligence gathering, inter-jurisdictional coordination with federal agencies, and the vast geography involved, create execution risk. Staffing and training a specialized patrol team from scratch is itself a multi-year effort.
Natural Disaster Emergency Spending (High). PSES spent $163 million on disaster and emergency response in 2024-25. The base budget does not include disaster spending, and severe weather events (floods, wildfires, storms) can require emergency responses costing hundreds of millions. This volatility makes total expense unpredictable year to year.
Growing Court Case Volumes (Medium). Criminal and youth prosecution volumes continue to grow, driven by population growth and evolving offence patterns. The $12 million increase for Court and Justice Services and $8 million for Crown Prosecution may not be sufficient if caseloads grow faster than projected.
Compassionate Intervention Act Demands (Medium). The Compassionate Intervention Act, to be introduced in spring 2025, will create a framework for mandated addiction treatment. This has implications for the justice system (court orders, enforcement, legal representation), correctional facilities (holding and transport), and police services (apprehension and diversion). The operational costs are not fully itemized in the budget.
Correctional Facility Capacity (Medium). Correctional Services receives only a modest increase despite potential demand growth from new legislation, population growth, and evolving criminal activity patterns. Facility overcrowding remains a persistent challenge.
Opportunities
Border Security Positioning. The border security initiative positions Alberta as proactive in addressing federal-provincial tensions over border enforcement. Beyond the immediate law enforcement benefits, the initiative signals to the United States that Alberta takes border security seriously, which could support broader trade and diplomatic relationships.
Family Justice Strategy Expansion. The expansion of the Family Justice Strategy to Grande Prairie and surrounding communities brings proven alternative dispute resolution services to underserved families. This reduces court backlogs, lowers legal costs for families, and improves outcomes for children and parents.
Human Trafficking Prosecution Capacity. The dedicated Human Trafficking Unit creates specialized expertise that can pursue complex trafficking cases more effectively than general prosecution resources. This addresses a growing criminal enterprise that exploits vulnerable populations.
Indigenous Community Policing. The $14 million investment in Indigenous police service buildings in three communities strengthens locally governed, community-based policing models that are more effective and culturally appropriate than externally imposed enforcement.
Justice Digital Transformation. The $17 million Justice Digital investment and $8 million courthouse video conference expansion modernize court operations, improve access to justice (particularly for rural communities), and reduce the backlog of cases awaiting hearing.
What's Missing
Budget 2025 does not include funding for an Alberta provincial police service to replace the RCMP, an initiative that was previously studied and debated. There is no specific rural crime strategy despite ongoing concerns about property crime and response times in rural communities. Victim services funding is not highlighted. The budget lacks a comprehensive cybercrime strategy despite the growing threat of online fraud, ransomware, and identity theft. The Legal Aid grant reduction (offset by Law Foundation funding) raises questions about long-term sustainability of legal aid. Gang prevention programs and youth diversion initiatives receive no specific new funding. The 100 additional police officers allocated in 2024-25 are not supplemented with further positions in this budget.
Net Assessment
Public safety and justice receive a positive assessment in Budget 2025, with targeted investments that address specific, identifiable needs. The border security initiative is the signature measure, backed by both operating and capital funding. The expansion of court services, Crown prosecution capacity, and the Human Trafficking Unit respond to real demand pressures. The justice capital plan of over $280 million funds facility modernization, digital transformation, and Indigenous community policing infrastructure.
The risks are concentrated in two areas: the unpredictable cost of natural disaster response and the unknown operational demands of the forthcoming Compassionate Intervention Act. Both could generate costs well beyond what the base budget provides, relying on the provincial contingency for coverage.
Overall, the sector benefits from focused, priority-driven investments rather than broad-based increases. The border security initiative, court capacity expansion, and human trafficking prosecution reflect a government responding to specific public safety concerns with dedicated resources. Whether the investments prove sufficient will depend on how the economic environment, border dynamics, and new legislation unfold over the plan period.