By Charles Lefebvre/Ashley Wiebe

Police Commission, union respond to allegations against Police Service

Jan 18, 2019 | 4:29 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — The current chair of the Medicine Hat Police Commission has responded to allegations of serious issues in the culture of the Medicine Hat Police Service.

Earlier this week, CHAT Television received a report written by local paralegal Ken Montgomery, which includes the results of two internal surveys conducted by the Medicine Hat Police Service in 2017.

Montgomery, a former detective with the Edmonton Police Service, claims Police Chief Andy McGrogan downplayed some of the results of the survey to the Medicine Hat Police Commission. He also claims there is an “old boys club” culture within the service and female officers consistently have to prove themselves. He also claims there is a lack of trust and confidentiality, unequal treatment during recruitment and unequal opportunities for professional development.

Greg Keen, the current chair of the commission, was among those who received a copy of Montgomery’s report. He says he first received it at Thursday’s police commission meeting, and had a chance to read through it on Friday.

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“He brings up a number of allegations,” he said, noting a copy of the report has been provided to other members of the Police Commission. “It would be nice to have facts versus second-hand information. You never want to discredit if there is some legitimate issues to be brought forward that could be dealt with in whatever way that falls under the Police Act. It would be nice that way.”

Keen says he has not met Montgomery in person, says he hasn’t seen him at a Police Commission meeting, and has only corresponded with him through email.

Keen notes there is an allegation in the report that the Police Commission is not doing its job in properly monitoring the Medicine Hat Police Service.

“Under the Police Act, it’s very clear what the Police Commission’s responsibility and role is, and what the service is. The commission is not in place to run the service,” he said. “It says that is the main issue. What I read it in the first page of that document, that’s what he is saying is the main issue, but it’s not our role to run the service.”

The Police Commission’s role is to act as an outside body and provide oversight to a police service, says Keen.

The internal surveys were commissioned by Police Chief Andy McGrogan in 2017 to help identify issues present in the Medicine Hat Police Service. One was for female officers, while the other was for all employees.

According to Keen, the survey results were presented to members at the Medicine Hat Police Commission during a meeting, where several areas for improvement, including the claim of a ‘boy’s club’ with in the service, and female officers feeling they have to prove themselves, were identified.

In his role as police commission chair, Keen believes the service is making efforts towards improvement.

“I think it’s an ongoing process,” he said. “There are some steps the chief and his team have taken, which have started some time ago, to address those, and to try and make the service better. That’s how we viewed the survey.”

Keen says the surveys were intended for internal use by the police service.

“I think that’s part of what’s a little bit disheartening in this, because now it’s something that was initiated by the chief, and some steps that that he and his team has taken to help make it a better place has been twisted almost,” he said. “From a commission perspective, it’s been tough, because we’ve been there for the whole process.”

The president of the Medicine Hat Police Association is also reacting to the allegations.

Sergeant Stacey Kesler has read through parts of Montgomery’s document.

Kesler said the survey done by the city’s human resources department found issues, including respectful work places.

He said he’s satisfied that since seeing the results, the service has put processes in place and are moving forward to find solutions, but he adds it won’t happen quickly.

“It takes time before old processes become new processes and for people to evolve,” he said. “And I’d like to think that, as a police service, we are evolving and we’re trying to make the place better every day that we’re there.”