NEWS PHOTO MO CRANKER
Const. Jason Ross and PSD Astor show off Astor's bite strength Saturday, June 8, 2019 during the annual MHPS Open House.
mcranker@medicinehatnews.com@MHNmocranker
The Medicine Hat Police Service opened up its doors and welcomed Hatters to its headquarters for a tour Saturday as part of the organization’s annual open house.
“During our open house we try to demonstrate a lot of our services to the community,” said police chief Andy McGrogan. “We just want people to come out and see what we have here and what we do in the community on a daily basis.
“A lot of the time people don’t have a chance to access our building so this is a great chance for people to do a tour and see a lot of our equipment – it’s a great way to celebrate the MHPS.”
The day also featured a scholarship ceremony that is held every year to honour and remember a former chief.
“It’s the Gordon Earl legacy barbecue and we’re handing out 19 certificates to a Grade 6 student from each school,” said McGrogan. “These kids exemplify the police service values and this is always the highlight of my day.
“(Gordon) passed away in 2008 and every year since he passed we’ve done this as a good way to remember him.”
McGrogan says having events like the open house can help the MHPS have more positive experiences with the community.
“A lot of the time the public sees us during a crisis or when they’re stopped for a traffic ticket,” he said. “This is a great way for people to see our officers and meet us face-to-face.”
