Medicine Hat Police Service

Today more than ever it is important for communities to come together & support one another. We are proud to be part of such an amazing community During #nationalpoliceweek we want to thank our #medhat community safety partners for their commitment and dedication to working together to enhance services that keep our community safe #NPW2021 #WorkingTogether #OnYourFrontline #YourPublicSafetyPartner

Building upon the success of the Police & Crisis Team (PACT), in 2018 the MHPS & Canadian Mental Health Association collaborated to create the Addictions Crisis Team (ACT). This team has proven to be of the most important mental health and addictions supports in Medicine Hat, working with PACT to provide boots on the ground outreach to meet those in need where they are, at that moment. A huge part of this program success is attributed to this man, Ryan Oscar. His unwavering ...dedication & passion for helping others is unmatched! We are so fortunate to have him on our team and in our community! Thank you Ryan! #bettertogether #nationalpoliceweek #NPW2021 #medhat #communitypartners

Three Medicine Hat men were recognized with Medicine Hat Police Service (MHPS) service coins today for their role in assisting with a police investigation. On April 23, 2021, at approximately 7:40 PM MHPS Constable Erica Neigum was attempting to locate and arrest a forty-six-year-old male who was wanted in connection to a domestic violence related incident. Constable Neigum located the male outside of a residence and when she informed him that he was under arrest the suspec...t fled on foot in the direction of a nearby golf course. Constable Neigum was observed by a group of golfers as she pursued the male on foot across the fairway. The three men quickly sprang into action and assisted her by utilizing their golf carts to divert the suspect toward a grove of trees. In an attempt to avoid the golfers, the male tripped on the ground and was quickly apprehended by Constable Neigum without further incident or injury. In recognition of their quick thinking and willingness to assist, Mitch Hallas, Joel Sieben and Kenan Kustra were each presented with a MHPS service coin and certificate of appreciation. Thank you!! See more

May 9, 2021 marked the beginning of National Police Week a seven-day public awareness campaign that encourages new connections between police and the communities they serve. The theme for 2021 is Working together to keep our communities safe and we are celebrating our role and our pride in being an important public safety partner. Public safety involves a collaborative effort within police agencies and between police services, first responders, as well as social and commu...nity organizations. Several professionals are collectively required to manage the risks and impacts to the health and safety of Canadians as a result of crime, natural disasters, mental illness, addiction, etc. Health and safety are essentially built on four pillars: treatment, harm reduction, enforcement, and prevention. Police agencies take pride in their leadership and/or support role for each of these pillars. As frontline first responders, police officers are often the gateway to many community supports. Our goal is always to make that first contact meaningful and to achieve the best possible outcome. We realize that not all police interactions successfully achieve these goals. We have heard the public demand for police reform. Know that we are listening and that we are constantly adapting, to be more responsive, and to better meet the needs and expectations of the community we serve. The Medicine Hat Police Service is committed to providing more than law enforcement, through a focus on crime prevention and community engagement that reflects true partnerships. The success of our service depends on our ability to create, maintain, and strengthen relationships with various community partners and stakeholders. In Medicine Hat we are extremely fortunate to work alongside partners who share our passion and commitment to the health and safety of our residents, says Chief Mike Worden. We strive every day to meet the needs of our community and without these connections, we could not properly serve the citizens of our community. Policing in Canada is dependent on the trust, accountability, and support of the community these are cornerstones of our profession. This week, we wish to remind the community we serve that the Medicine Hat Police Service is listening, and that we will continue to work with you, the local government as well as various community partners and stakeholders to find opportunities and solutions that work for residents of our community when it comes to public safety. Because diversity and inclusion are our strengths, we are also committed to enhancing our recruitment, hiring and promotion processes to increase the quality of our recruits and accelerate the diversification of our organization so that we can be more representative of, and be more responsive to, the community we serve. #NPW2021 #WorkingTogether #medhat

Some things are just #bettertogether A community response to mental health is a perfect example. The MHPS typically respond to 3 mental health related calls per day. These investigations are usually non-criminal in nature, involving people experiencing crisis.... In 2017 we partnered with @albertahealthservices to form a Police & Crisis Team (PACT) to provide a shared response to assist individuals in crisis and steer individuals away from justice system and towards community supports and resources to assist them. This partnership has proven to be very effective. Funding announcement by @youralberta last week with further enhance our crisis response by adding additional mental health therapists. The MHPS is committed to continuing to work with our community health partners to examine ways we can further enhance and improve our response and the safety of our community. #workingtogether #NPW2021 #medhat

Thanks for the refreshments and fun jokes @mhchristianschool Your support and appreciation means the world to us #communitysupport #medhat #thankyou #appreciation

The Safe Families Intervention Team is a partnership between the MHPS & Medicine Hat Women's Shelter Society Formed in 2014 with a mission to provide collaborative, timely & effective response to assist families dealing with incidents of violence, the team pairs a police officer with outreach workers to provide access to supports & services. In 2020 MHPS total domestic related files increased by 29% as compared to 2019. Support referrals by SFIT staff also increased by 72%.... If you need help, support or safety planning contact the MHWSS 24/7 support line at 403-529-1091 or 1-800-661-7949 or call 911 in an emergency #NPW2021 #workingtogether #strongertogether #medhat #familyviolence

Mothers are often the glue that holds everything together Thank you Moms for all you especially all of our MHPS moms. We hope you have a wonderful day!

Exciting announcement today regarding provincial support for a new digital tool (HealthIM) that will be used to improve police interactions when responding to mental health emergencies.https://www.alberta.ca/release.cfm The MHPS is looking forward to launching the use of HealthIM in our community in the fall of 2021. Thanks to additional financial resources donated by the Brandon Niwa Legacy Fund ‘The Beej Project’, through the Medicine Hat College Foundation, costs of th...e technology required for police to launch HealthIM will also be covered in Medicine Hat. Providing officers with access to real-time and relevant information on individuals suffering from mental health and substance abuse issues will increase safety when officers respond to situations with people in crisis, says Mike Worden, Chief of the MHPS. This technology has been proven a reliable tool that will assist in the de-escalation of these potentially dangerous encounters. We would like to thank the Medicine hat College and the Niwa family for their unwavering support. https://www.mhc.ab.ca/NewsandEven/Stories/2021/May/HealthIM #communitypartnerships #communitysafety #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthmatters #medhat

Today, May 5, is National Day of Awareness for Missing & Murdered Indigenous Persons. A day to remember the lives of the victims, survivors & their families. The red dress is a symbol used to commemorate and raise awareness for the over representation of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirited people #MMIP #MMIWG2S #MMIWG #RedDressDay #medhat #LESM

Next week is National Addictions Awareness Week and this year’s theme is Change Begins With Me On Tuesday November 24 from 7-8 PM Addictions and Crisis Team member Ryan Oscar will be participating in a FREE online community event aimed at ending the stigma regarding substance abuse and raising the awareness about community resources available to assist you or someone you love Register via Event Brite https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/moving-from-stigma-to-resilienc... #NAAW #changebeginswithme #endthestigma #medhat

Male Charged with B&E In the early morning hours of November 18, 2020, members of the Medicine Hat Police Service were called to a break and enter in progress in the 100 block of 1 Street NE. A male had entered a locked apartment complex and was attempting to steal property from tenant storage lockers. The suspect was observed on surveillance video and confronted by the building manger. The male fled the area on foot and was apprehended several blocks away by police. Resulting from this investigation, a 41-year-old male was arrested and charged with Break Enter and Theft.

Wide Load Escort 10 Ave SW Highway #1 Westbound There will be a wide load escort today from 9:00 am to approx. 10:30 am. The load will start from 10 Ave SW to the Trans Canada Highway west through Redcliff. There will be counter flow traffic. Please expect minor delays.

November 16-20 is Bullying Awareness Week We can all make a difference in someone’s life. Never under estimate the power of a smile, kind word or taking the time to listen. You never know what someone is going through. The smallest act of caring could turn someone’s life around... #bekind #medhat

H&R / Evade Police On November 1st,2020 at approximately 9:00 PM members of the Medicine Hat Police Service (MHPS) responded to a report of a Bobcat excavator driving south on Dunmore Road SE. It was reported that the Bobcat had intentionally rammed a City of Medicine Hat Fire Service vehicle before continuing south. Shortly afterwards a marked MHPS patrol vehicle attempted to stop the Bobcat, which was traveling at 3-5 mph, and it too was also deliberately struck with the ...Bobcat forks. Additional attempts by other police units to stop the vehicle were made and the driver taken into custody. Further investigation also revealed that the accused was associated to an unrelated matter involving an utter threats complaint that occurred earlier in the evening. This resulted in the accused also being charged with utter threats and breach of court order. It should also be noted that neither the accused, nor members of Fire Service or MHPS were injured as a result of this incident however extensive property damage was sustained. Resulting from the investigation a 24-year-old Medicine Hat male is currently in custody awaiting a Judicial Interim Release Hearing for the following charges: - Dangerous Driving - Impaired / Exceed .08 - Failing to Stop at the scene of an accident - Flight from Police - Assault with a weapon x 2 - Breach of Probation x 2 - Breach of Undertaking - Possession of Stolen Property - Theft Over $5000 - Utter Threats. See more

Due to a road hazard motorists are asked to avoid 1st Street SE from Division Avenue to 4th Ave SE until further notice.

20-25240 Domestic dispute/assault with a weapon On October 30, 2020 at approximately 9pm MHPS received a report of a domestic dispute in the 300 block of Cornell Crescent SW. On arrival it was learned that a 57 year old Medicine Hat women allegedly stabbed a Medicine Hat man causing minor injuries. Members of the patrol section arrived on scene and took the suspect into custody on domestic violence related charges including assault, assault with a weapon and several breach of... court order charges. The accused will remain in custody awaiting her bail hearing. The victim was assessed by EMS and released on scene. Patrol Staff Sergeant

Congratulations to Mike Worden who has been selected as the next Chief of Police for the Medicine Hat Police Service, effective January 4, 2021 https://mhpolicecommission.ca/?p=657

The Downtown Patrol Unit (DPU) has completed their first week & have been able to meet with approx 50 business owners so far The team plans to make contact with every business in the downtown area; so if you happen to be a business owner who has not met them, they have not forgotten about you! Highlights from this week include: Cst Lori Parasynchuk having the opportunity to meet a North Railway business owner’s guard dog The officers learned one issue in this area is pe...ople loitering in the back alley, leaving garbage and drug paraphernalia behind. The DPU is increasing patrols of the area to identify offenders. Also on October 23, during a stop at the downtown Small Business Market in the Arcade Plaza on 3 St SE. Cst Jason Van Mulligen had the pleasure of meeting Oliver who just had to try out the handcuffs Oliver said he aspires to be a police officer when he grows up; we look forward to working with him someday! One consistent concern from users of the downtown area, is people loitering in the bus terminal stairwells (333 6 Ave SE). During their regular patrol of the terminal on October 29, the DPU arrested 2 males packaging drugs on one of the elevator platforms. The males were charged with possession of a controlled substance and 0.5 grams of Fentanyl and 0.1 grams of methamphetamine were seized; street value of approximately $260. Police have to wear protective equipment when seizing drugs, to ensure they do not inadvertently inhale the fine dust which can be fatal; Sgt Brian Bohrn was photographed completing this task #medhat #downtown #lesm

The recent change in weather has created some interesting challenges for the Downtown Patrol Unit (DPU) over the last couple weeks. Following the major snowfall, on November 10th, the team assisted half a dozen drivers who were stuck in the snow banks within the downtown core. On November 11th, Remembrance Day, the DPU was honored to assist with the ceremony held at Veteran’s Memorial Park. They attended the ceremony, and also escorted a vehicle procession passed the cenota...ph and through downtown. The team was able to meet with an additional 75+ businesses in the last 2 weeks. They also had the pleasure of building contacts with various social services related to housing, mental health, and addictions. These resources, in collaboration with the DPU, will work together to manage the complex needs within the downtown core. Highlights of calls the Downtown Patrol Team attended in the last 2 weeks: 1) A 34 year old female was causing a disturbance by yelling and swearing in the 400 block of 3 St SE. Officers attended, determined she was exhibiting signs of mental distress, and attempted negotiations with her to get her to the hospital; she refused. She assaulted one officer with a weapon while they arrested her under the Mental Health Act. She was transported to the hospital for assessment. 2) While responding to a complaint of possible drug activity in the 400 block of 3 St SE, the DPU identified a 30 year old male who had 9 outstanding warrants for his arrest. He was taken into custody on these charges. The DPU is looking forward to being a part of the Downtown Midnight Madness on November 20th, please come out to support our local businesses and say hello to our team members if you see them!

On October 27,2020 the MHPS Major Crimes Section assisted the EPS with locating the suspect of a 1994 sexual assault at a #medhat residence

Happy Halloween from Cst Steiger & Mulder

Now Hiring Victim Services Navigation Specialist -(Temporary, Full Time, Up to 12 Months) The City of Medicine Hat's Police Support Services department has an exciting opportunity for an experienced professional to join their Victim Assistance Unit. The unit provides victims of crime/trauma with 24-hour crisis support, court orientation & court support, information and community referral services. The Victim Assistance Navigation Specialist performs a variety of coordinatio...n and crisis support tasks, including managing client files, providing mentorship for the team of volunteer Victim Advocates and collaborating with external agencies to manage the flow of information. Our ideal candidate will demonstrate excellent communication and critical thinking skills, and will have the ability to build and develop healthy relationships with others. They will have experience in Victim Services, with functional knowledge of the Criminal Justice system and associated legislation. Required Qualifications: The successful completion of a degree in Human / Social Services or related field from a recognized post-secondary institution. Two (2) years related work experience, including experience directly working with victims of crime. Successful completion the Solicitor General's Victim Assistance Training, within two (2) months of the employee's commencement date. Valid Class 5 driver's license, with the ability to obtain a City of Medicine Hat driver's licence. An equivalent combination of management approved training and related experience may be considered. Must pass a full Police Service security clearance as outlined in the Medicine Hat Police Service Policy and Procedures, including a polygraph examination. https://medicinehat.prevueaps.ca/internaljobs/11652.html

The Medicine Hat Police is currently at the scene of a motor vehicle collision at the intersection of Trans Canada Way and 13 Avenue. We ask that you avoid this area as traffic is being re-directed.