National Police Week: Working together to keep our communities safe

May 9, 2021 marked the beginning of National Police Week – a seven-day public awareness campaign that encourages new connections between police and the communities they serve. The theme for 2021 is “Working together to keep our communities safe” and we are celebrating our role and our pride in being an important public safety partner.

Public safety involves a collaborative effort within police agencies and between police services, first responders, as well as social and community organizations. Several professionals are collectively required to manage the risks and impacts to the health and safety of Canadians as a result of crime, natural disasters, mental illness, addiction, etc. Health and safety are essentially built on four pillars: treatment, harm reduction, enforcement, and prevention. Police agencies take pride in their leadership and/or support role for each of these pillars. As frontline first responders, police officers are often the gateway to many community supports. Our goal is always to make that first contact meaningful and to achieve the best possible outcome.

We realize that not all police interactions successfully achieve these goals. We have heard the public demand for police reform. Know that we are listening and that we are constantly adapting, to be more responsive, and to better meet the needs and expectations of the community we serve. The Medicine Hat Police Service is committed to providing more than law enforcement, through a focus on crime prevention and community engagement that reflects true partnerships. The success of our service depends on our ability to create, maintain, and strengthen relationships with various community partners and stakeholders.

“In Medicine Hat we are extremely fortunate to work alongside partners who share our passion and commitment to the health and safety of our residents,” says Chief Mike Worden. “We strive every day to meet the needs of our community and without these connections, we could not properly serve the citizens of our community.

Policing in Canada is dependent on the trust, accountability, and support of the community – these are cornerstones of our profession. This week, we wish to remind the community we serve that the Medicine Hat Police Service is listening, and that we will continue to work with you, the local government as well as various community partners and stakeholders to find opportunities and solutions that work for residents of our community when it comes to public safety. Because diversity and inclusion are our strengths, we are also committed to enhancing our recruitment, hiring and promotion processes to increase the quality of our recruits and accelerate the diversification of our organization so that we can be more representative of, and be more responsive to, the community we serve.

For further information please contact:

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