Medicine Hat Police Service releases 2021 annual report

The results from a public engagement survey showed a 71 per cent overall satisfaction rate, up from 65 per cent 10 years ago. Survey questions on trust and confidence also had high results.

“We’re going to continue working on upping that satisfaction,” says West. “Trust and confidence is something we never take for granted here at the police service.”

West says he is also pleased with the road safety data.

“We continued to make the roads safe,” says West. “We had zero traffic fatalities in the city in 2021.”

Despite all the positives, West says there is always room for improvement, citing jumps in threat complaints, domestic violence and mental health calls.

“We’re always trying to find ways to better connect with our partner agencies and see how we can improve customer service there,” says West.

On the topic of customer service, West says that is something that can be worked on a bit more.

“Not just in the building but in the field,” explains West. “We’re always driving customer service, what can we do for the client and how can we do things better.”

A call centre was put in place in March 2020 to reduce in-person interaction. Citizens could call in and speak to an officer rather than dispatching an officer to the call.

West says the calls are tracked the same as in-person calls are, and officers did go to the scene when it was needed.

The model is being reviewed to determine if it works in a post-pandemic world, with West saying it falls under customer service.

“We are looking at our front lobby model and how it best works,” says West. “So that’s something we’re certainly going to review for 2022-2023.”

The report also looks at key accomplishments in relation to the MHPS’s five strategic priorities: community safety, community engagement, innovation and excellence in service delivery, organizational wellness and human resources.

The Drug Treatment Court Program is listed under innovation and excellence in service delivery. The program started in January 2021 and provides an alternative for drug-addicted offenders that integrates justice, health and social services into a treatment plan designed to break the cycle of crime and addiction.

“We had six people start off this year,” says West. “We have two graduated, and I think one graduated last year. So that’s a real success story and that’s something we want to stay the course with for sure.”

The full report can be found on the MHPS website.

by Meghan Cobb

Medicine Hat Police Service releases 2021 annual report

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