Why was the North-West Mounted Police created in Alberta?

The North-West Mounted Police (now the Royal Canadian Mounted Police) was created in 1873 primarily to address lawlessness on the western plains.12

A major catalyst for the force's formation was the presence of unscrupulous traders from the United States who were operating in the region. These traders were inciting violence among First Nations people by exchanging cheap whiskey for buffalo hides, creating significant instability.321

Beyond eliminating these incursions, the force was tasked with establishing Canadian authority in the vast, sparsely populated frontier. By 1874, the Mounties established their first installation at Fort Macleod in what is now Alberta, where they served as the primary legal authority. Over time, their role expanded to include protecting new settlers, assisting with wilderness survival, and facilitating the integration of the frontier into the Dominion of Canada.123