Throughout 2024 police responded to several firearms calls, two fatal collisions and were able to seize thousands of dollars of illegal drugs. The service also began its downtown PEACE outreach team in 2024 to help deal with increasing calls downtown.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
bmiller@medicinehatnews.com
As the Medicine Hat Police Service celebrated its 125th anniversary throughout 2024, members responded to an increased number of firearm related calls, conducted several significant drug busts and assisted first responders through a deadly summer on local roads.
Local officers also conducted more than 300 visits to encampments located throughout downtown and the Flats neighbourhood, and responded to more than 32,500 calls for service.
125th Anniversary
A regimental parade at the Cypress Centre kicked off the year as the Medicine Hat Police Service celebrated its 125th anniversary with a ceremony on Jan. 13, 2024.
Members were joined by city councillors, local politicians and members of the police commission to honour the service that began as a municipal police force Jan. 13, 1899, consisting of one constable, who also served as the city’s inspector and health officer.
“I just think someone 125 years ago having the foresight to start their own municipal police service in this community is pretty cool,” says chief Alan Murphy. “The service has evolved ever since and will continue to do so.”
Over the past 125 years MHPS has grown to include more than 110 officers, as well as dozens of peace officers and civilian staff members. There have been 24 chiefs of police in the service’s history.
Firearms
Murphy says local officers are still recovering from a police-involved shooting in SW Hill in July after responding to a weapons complaint in a four-plex apartment building located in the 200 block on Eighth Street SW.
The incident led to the arrest of 30-year-old Cole Scory who has been charged with four counts of attempted murder with a firearm after he opened fire and injured several officers responding to the call.
“I think there’s some people in our community, I think it’s a small number, but some people in our community don’t think this is a concern,” says Murphy. “We had officers (that were) fired at, that are still not back to work yet, or they’re just starting to get back to work, that’s a big deal.”
The case was investigated by the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team and remains before courts.
“It’s a significant concern when firearms are being discharged at police officers in our community, that’s dangerous for everybody involved.”
In 2024 police dealt with an increased number of firearm related calls; throughout a three-day period in September officers and local RCMP dealt with three firearms related calls that led to the seizure of more than a dozen dangerous weapons.
That same month police seized 11 firearms, many with ammunition in close proximity, and had to deploy pepper ball munitions after a suspect failed to comply with officers during a vehicle stop. In September police also seized a prohibited loaded sawed-off shotgun in a hotel room along Redcliff Drive.
In August, officers charged two suspects following an altercation at Tower Estates after one male discharged a handgun, injuring a visitor.
Illegal drugs and organized crime
Along with several firearm seizures, Murphy says local officers have performed excellent in reducing the amount of drugs, especially fentanyl, that can be found on the streets.
“Fentanyl is the real scourge that we have to deal with,” he says.
In May, several members of the Alberta Sheriffs’ Safer Communities and Neighbourhood unit (SCAN) worked with local police to shut down a property in Riverside known for drug activity and violence-related complaints.
Murphy says when SCAN comes into a community to shut down a drug house, their actions have a positive impact on surrounding neighbours and the entire community.
“If you’re living in a neighbourhood that has one of these houses, and we’ve had them, and then all of a sudden, you get SCAN in your neighbourhood and peace is restored because we shut a house down with the sheriffs – that’s a big deal,” he says.
In February, ALERT Medicine Hat’s organized crime team charged 10 local drug dealers with 48 criminal offences and seized more than $40,000 worth of drugs during an investigation.
In April, ALERT seized approximately $90,000 and arrested four people in two planned vehicle stops assisted by Brooks RCMP.
A known drug trafficker was arrested in July and a home in the South Ridge neighbourhood was searched for drugs, where police found illicit prescription pills.
In August, two brothers were charged with multiple drug-related offences after ALERT seized more than $20,000 of methamphetamine, opioid pills and illicit pills.
“The joint forces team of ALERT does an amazing job in this city, not just the city but the region,” explains Murphy. “So they cover all the way up to Brooks and they’ll go where the work is.
“The idea is to curtail drugs and guns coming into our city.”
PEACE Team/ Downtown
In 2024, the Proactive Engagement and Community Enhancement (PEACE) team began and performed more than 300 visits to locations where vulnerable populations have been living in encampments and tents, mainly around downtown and the Flats neighbourhood.
A PEACE team consists of a uniformed officer joined by a mental health officer, as well as health-care workers with AHS. Members of the Medicine Hat Fire Service and Medicine Hat Public Housing also assist the PEACE team to provide resources and connections to local mental health support.
Last year police and fire responded to more than 60 structure fires related to encampments in the river valley.
“So, we’re all doing this work separately, and this year we did it together,” says Murphy. “I think that it is a win-win for the city, because now it’s together and fires are down.
“Hopefully we are providing services to people. The key to the whole thing is someone has got to be ready to accept the services.”
Murphy is hopeful new legislation called the Compassionate Intervention Act, expected to be introduced in the spring, will provide police and support officers more tools to assist vulnerable populations.
The Alberta Action Plan on Homelessness was developed in 2022, and more funding is expected in 2025 to assist in modernizing shelters and developing more affordable housing, while connecting broader social services an social housing by sharing data across the system.
A new advisory council was appointed Dec. 20 to advise the province.
“This advisory panel will provide long-term, strategic advice on homelessness, increase focus on Indigenous peoples, homelessness in rural communities, addiction and recovery, housing and a connection to broader social service and health care systems in our province,” said Jason Nixon, minister of seniors, community and social services.
Police deal with more calls surrounding mental health and addiction in Medicine Hat’s downtown and neighbouring Flats community than any other district in the city. Along with the PEACE, MHPS also deployed three officers in its downtown patrol unit and will add two more officers to the unit in 2025.
Next year downtown patrol officers will also be equipped with bicycles to allow further mobility and extended service coverage.
Downtown businesses should see a difference, the residents in the Flats should see a difference,” says Murphy, who explains officers in the downtown patrol unit are currently running several overtime shifts to handle the number of calls for service.
“It’s a Band-Aid temporarily – it’s working, but we need the long-term solution, which now the council has funded with with the extra positions of the downtown patrol unit, which is outstanding,” says Murphy.
Traffic, impaired driving
During an “uncommon” summer on city roads, police responded to two fatal collisions occurring in July and September.
“Those are very impactful, obviously, on families and on our members, as well as the whole community,” says Murphy.
Additionally, police responded to three serious collisions directly related to speed, two along the Trans-Canada Highway.
“Those could easily be fatalities, had it not been for the amazing medical interventions that EMS and hospital staff provide,” explains Murphy, who says first responders attended several other motor collisions throughout 2024.
“The fallout from that, within our patrol section, our traffic units, they have to deal with the carnage, as does fire and EMS. That’s tough on people, and you look at the toll on families that are dealing with it.”
Murphy continues to express frustration with the province’s plans to eliminate speed enforcement from photo radar equipment outside school, playground and construction zones on April 1.
Medicine Hat police do not use fixed photo radar equipment and cameras at intersections, however local police utilize two high-visibility vehicles marked with decals to monitor 108 approved photo radar sites around the city.
In April the city will be down to 68 sites, all in school, playground and construction zones, causing what Murphy calls a “serious” local impact on roadways.
“We’re very cognizant of our photo radar sites in the city. They’re audited every year.” says Murphy who is among several chiefs of police around the province expressing disappointment.
“Serious issues for certain, and our citizens should be concerned about that, as we are.”
Police wrapped up the year by ramping up roadside check-stops throughout December with assistance from RCMP and Sheriffs.
More than 2,500 vehicles were checked, with six individuals charged with impaired driving.
Murphy says police received positive responses from the community during the stops.
“I think people want to be safe, and they want to know that the unsafe drivers are off the road.”
Scams
Police say computer and phone scams are becoming more prevalent across the country and continue to update residents on trending scams and who scammers are targeting.
In 2024, police received several calls and provided warnings about the “Grandparent Scam.” In a typical scenario an elderly family member receives a call from a scammer pretending to be a grandchild – or friend, or neighbour – in trouble.
Scammers can call from around the globe, making it difficult for local police. However, in a rare occurrence in October, Medicine Hat police arrested three men from Calgary for their involvement in running a local phone bank scam.
Police received a call from the victim while the scam was in progress and quickly assembled a sting operation to apprehend the three suspects. Murphy credits the victim who reached out to police leading to the arrests.
“We were able to stop that one, and that’s a big deal, but it’s very difficult at times to deal with them because they are nowhere near our community. They don’t have to be, they can be on phones anywhere on our planet.”
This year police also received thousands of opened and unopened mail items and arrested a ‘known offender’ following a string of community mailbox thefts that affected dozens of residents throughout the spring and summer months.
Cadets/Police Academy
The service welcomed four new MHPS officers this year who graduated alongside four Blood Tribe Police Service officers in June from the service’s cadet program.
In 2025 the service will host two separate cadet academies, increasing time with training officers and utilizing a new partnership with Medicine Hat College to provide the classroom portion.
“I’d like to hire police officers in our own city that are going to work in and for our city,” says Murphy. “And I think it’s cool if the training curriculum is developed here in town between the police and the college. We have the expertise here, why not do it and spend the money here? That makes sense to me.”
The next round of cadet training begins Jan. 13. The other class will run next fall.
In November, 20 residents graduated from the services Citizens Academy after completing a 10-week outreach program providing an opportunity to gain a better understanding of each unit within the service and what is involved in keeping a community safe.
Victim Assistance Dogs/K9 Unit
This year the service welcomed two new furry members. In the spring, Athena, a golden retriever victim assistance dog joined the force to replace Mulder, who retired after eight years of service.
In the fall, K-9 service dog Frezer and handler Const. Guerra joined the service after successfully completing their six-month basic training course with the Edmonton Police Service.
Message from the chief
“I just want to wish all of our citizens a safe and healthy season, and go into the new year happy and healthy and have a very positive 2025.
“We had a lot of tension in the community, I thought in 2024, for various reasons, and I’m hopeful for a lot of positivity in 2025.
“We don’t know what 2025 is going to bring, but all I ask everybody, stay together, stay happy, stay healthy and we’ll have the opportunity for a great 2025.”
