The Medicine Hat Police Service is pleased to release its Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Action Plan.

The foundation of the plan is the belief that a diverse and inclusive organization will be stronger, more resilient and responsive to the needs of the community. The plan was developed in consultation with the Medicine Hat Police Commission, based upon input from police service staff and community stakeholder groups. It builds upon the previous MHPS Diversity & Inclusion Plan released to the community in 2017 and reports on activities and training completed to date.

Recognizing that the paradigm shift from “cultural fit” to one of “diversity and inclusion” will require more than well-intentioned policies and programs, the MHPS through this plan commits to clearly defined objectives, actions and deliverables centered around two main themes:

Police Service Delivery: External focus on providing accessible, responsive and responsible policing services to all people in the community.

People and Process: Internal focus on ensuring equitable employment opportunities are available to all employees in an environment that is respectful and free of harassment and discrimination, and that organizational processes and policies represent and support the EDI strategy.

There are currently four public facing and eight internally facing initiatives with action items to be completed over the next two years, the period of time left in current business cycle (2021 -2022). The EDI plan is supplemented by an Indigenous Reconciliation Action Plan that provides more specific details in relations to how the MHPS intends to action the calls to police services as identified in the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls report.

“This action plan is the culmination of past work and recent efforts to understand and put to action deliverables that I believe will increase the inclusiveness of the organization,” says MHPS Chief Mike Worden. “These efforts will improve our ability to provide service excellence to the community, and I commit to leading this plan.”

Both EDI and Indigenous Reconciliation Action Plans are available for review on the MHPS website at mhps.ca. They are intended to be living documents with the website updated as work is completed or new initiatives are identified.

Media Contact:

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