The official opposition, Alberta NDP have released a transcript for an official presentation, outlining police funding cuts to rural Albertan's.

Documents released on Wednesday, September 18 by the NDP party, show six different scenarios for cuts as high as 70 per cent in 291 rural communities across the province.

NDP Leader, Rachel Notley says what the UCP is considering is turning back on their promises.

“In the last election, the UCP ran on protecting rural people from crime - what they didn’t say is that rural people would have to pay the cost, without getting a single new resource,” says Notley. “This is a complete 180 and is a broken promise to rural Albertans, plain and simple.”

The NDP say if crime prevention funding is cut, towns, villages and municipalities will be on the hook for the remainder of the cost, which will weigh on the taxpayer.

In the most extreme situations, they're saying taxes could rise as much as $406 per person, per year and lead to potential costs around $157 Million for communities over all.

"Our municipalities need support, and we need a provincial government that understands there’s only one taxpayer,” said Joe Ceci, NDP Opposition critic for Municipal Affairs. “These cuts will leave local leaders with no choice but to raise taxes on rural Albertans, cut policing, cut other municipal services, or a combination of the three. All this after giving a $4.5 billion gift to their wealthy friends and donors.”

During the past year, reports state rural crime has actually dropped, after Alberta's previous NDP government introduced a $10 million Rural Crime Strategy in March of 2018.

Stats measured in September 2018 showed there were 648 fewer motor vehicle thefts as well as 366 fewer break and enter incidents in Alberta when compared to the same time period in 2017.

Property crime also dropped nine percent. 

The AUMA Police Cost Model Review document can be found here.

Albertas Justice Minister Doug Schweitzer is currently on a cross province tour on rural crime, and hasn't released any information on funding cuts.

His tour will land in Okotoks on September 30.