A change of command ceremony was held at the Medicine Hat Cypress Center this afternoon, and Alan Murphy was officially sworn in as the 24th Chief of the Medicine Hat Police Service. Chief Murphy had been acting as the Interim Chief of Police since October 12, 2022 and was permanently appointed to the position by the Medicine Hat Police Commission on December 5, 2022.

Prior to his appointment Chief Murphy previously served as a member of the Edmonton Police Service for over 27 years, where he demonstrated his abilities as seasoned leader throughout a successful and progressive policing career reaching the rank of Deputy Chief of Police.

The ceremony began with the MHPS Ceremonial Team, led by a piper marching in the Service Colours followed by the Medicine Hat College Girls’ Choir singing of the national anthem. Elder Charlie Fox of the Kainai Nation then offered a traditional blessing.

Chief Murphy then swore to and signed an oath of allegiance and office which was administered by Honourable Judge Ted Fischer. In Alberta, all police officers are required to swear and oath of allegiance and office. The oath provides the opportunity for an officer, to declare, under law, that they will execute their duties diligently, ethically, and with the highest level of integrity. Officers are required to complete this oath up to two times in their career, once as they begin their journey in law enforcement and again upon promotion to the position of Chief of Police. Completing the oath as the Chief serves as a reminder of the importance of policing fairly and without prejudice and maintaining the trust of the public.

During the ceremony remarks were provided by Medicine Hat Police Commission Chair Ted Rodych, City of Medicine Hat Mayor Linnsie Clark, Assistant Deputy Minister of Public Security and Director of Law Enforcement Marlin Degrand, and Member of Parliament Glen Motz.

Chief Murphy then expressed his appreciation for the opportunity and shared his top priorities for both the service and the community. Internally Chief Murphy spoke to an enhanced focus on wellness programming for police officers their families to address the impact of the trauma experienced in the execution of their duties serving the community. “Our members cannot effectively care of their community if they are also in need of care,” said Chief Murphy. Externally, Chief Murphy committed to “finding solutions to address the increased crime and disorder that is often linked to mental health and addiction issues in the community.” Appreciating that these complex social issues cannot be solved by a traditional police response alone, Chief Murphy pledged to work with community partners, social agencies, and all levels of government to find lasting solutions.

The ceremony was well attended with over 200 in attendance and was followed by a short reception.

Congratulations Chief Murphy and welcome to Medicine Hat! We look forward to your leadership of Medicine Hat Police Service.

Media Contact:

Rita Sittler
Administrative Services Manager
Medicine Hat Police Service
Ph: 403-529-8416