By Matt Nemeth

MHPS hold second annual open house

Jun 11, 2017 | 11:54 AM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — From K9 demonstrations to bomb disposal robots nearly everything the Medicine Hat Police Service does or has was on display Saturday at their second annual open house.

Running from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. the open house also featured a barbecue recognizing 20 Grade 6 students who had been identified by their elementary schools as possessing the qualities of future community leaders.

The students each received a scholarship through the Chief Earl Leadership Legacy Fund, which has been set up to honour the memory of former MHPS Chief Gordon Earl.

“Chief Gord Earl passed away in 2008 suddenly and we worked together with the family and we said ‘How can we celebrate Gord’s time as the chief?’,” said current MHPS Chief Andy McGrogan before the barbecue began.

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“Gord was always big with the youth and the kids.”

The first open house held last year was a way for the force to showcase the recently finished addition to the police station, but the feedback from the community was so positive the decision was made to make it an annual event.

McGrogan says the open house provides the general public a better understanding of what goes on behind their doors.

“One guy put it eloquently he says ‘You know I didn’t know how many moving parts it took to run a police car down the street’, and this (open house) gives you a bit of a glimpse of that.”

In addition to proving the public with greater awareness about the job they do, the chief says the event also helps open the lines of communication between them and the community.

“This is an opportunity for the community to come and meet all of us that are here today— and there’s probably 15-20 police officers around here— and have a conversation and talk about what’s on their mind.”