Mike Worden, a Medicine Hat native and 25-year veteran of the Calgary Police Service, has been named the new chief of police in the Gas City.--NEWS PHOTO
Medicine Hat’s new police chief will be Mike Worden, a Hat native who spent the past 25 years with the Calgary Police Service, it was announced at Monday’s council meeting.
The hiring ends a six-month committee process to replace retiring chief Andy McGrogan.
Worden, who is currently a superintendent covering Calgary’s southwest district, which has a complement of 500 officers, will start in Medicine Hat on Jan. 4.
“The MHPS has an excellent reputation for professionalism and any of the members who I’ve met or worked with have been great representatives,” said Worden. “(McGrogan) has led with pride and honour down here, and it’s up to me to continue some of that and lead it forward.”
Worden, a Hat High graduate, joined the Calgary Police Service’s patrol unit in 1995 then worked in the tactical unit until he became a patrol sergeant in 2007. He was made inspector in 2012 specializing in human resources and that city’s continuous operations centre.
More recently, he chaired the service’s executive board.
Police commission chair Sandy Redden told reporters the combined experience and outlook about the future of policing made him the hiring committee’s choice.
The search was conducted over the last six months by a hiring committee comprised of council members and public members of the police commission.
A list of 12 candidates was shortened to four for interviews.
“We had a strong, strong, strong candidate, and I’m very excited,” said Coun. Julie Friesen, a member of the police commission.
