Crime prevention initiatives are focused on reducing the amount of petty crime through preventative measures and increasing vigilance/awareness of our environments. By sharing information with community members and working with local neighborhood watch groups around the city, the Medicine Hat Police Service strives to tap into the collective resources of our community to stop thieves.

To assist with this goal, Cst. Williams of the MHPS Patrol Section has prepared some information on how community members can help, including; when to call the police and how to provide a description of a subject.

When to call the police:

Police should be called whenever there is a concern for public safety. Call 9-1-1 in an emergency situation, including crimes in progress, or 403-529-8481 for all other non-emergencies. If an offence is witnessed while it is being committed, the quicker you call, the better chance police officers have of catching the suspects. At NO time should a member of the public engage with a suspect(s), for obvious safety reasons. Be aware, if a significant incident has taken place, officers may need to contain the situation before follow-up statements are obtained from witnesses, but they will reach out to you.

How to provide a description of a suspect:

A simple, easy to remember and effective method of providing a description of a person is known as the A-to-H method:

A = AGE, try to estimate age in 5-year segments, for example 40-45 years old etc

B = BUILD, describe the build as; stocky, muscular, skinny, as weight can be difficult to estimate, especially depending on the time of year and clothing worn

C = CLOTHING, describe the type of clothing worn, including color, and any descriptive details such as badges or logos which are always helpful

D = DISTINGUISHING FEATURES – tattoos’, piercings, basically anything that makes a person standout in a crowd

E = ELEVATION (height) – again can be difficult to determine accurately, but try to bracket the height, for example 5’6” to 5’9”, and compare to things that you know the height of or that could be measured

F = FACE – describe the face shape or characteristics, such as round, acne, beard, fat, thin, etc

G = GAIT (how they walk) some people have a distinct way of walking, including a shuffle or limp, etc

H = HAIR, color, length, style etc

Providing detailed information will help police track down subjects. You may only get a short glimpse of the suspect, so knowing what details to look for can help you to provide the most useful information. They say a picture is worth a thousand words and video is even better, so if you have footage of the person or event, please advise the dispatcher right away when calling in so that information can be passed along to the attending officers.

Next week we will look at some methods of protecting property, by recording items etc. Until then stay safe Medicine Hat!