ARTICLES

In a small ceremony held at the Medicine Hat Police Service this morning, Mike Worden was sworn in as Chief of Police. He replaces Chief Andy McGrogan, who retired on December 31, 2020 after serving the community of Medicine Hat for over 40 years.

“I am honoured to take on the role of Chief of Police, joining the women and men who make up this incredibly professional and progressive organization” say Chief Worden. “As this is a homecoming for me, after being away from the community for 32-years, I look forward to working with residents and the members of the police service as I know together we can accomplish great things. I want to thank and congratulate Chief Andy McGrogan for his leadership and for over 40-years of service to this community.”

Due to current health orders the ceremony was limited in attendance however it is anticipated that a public event will be planned once the restrictions are lifted.

Chief Worden was selected by the Medicine Hat Police Commission after an extensive national search which yielded several highly qualified candidates. Prior to his appointment as Chief of the Medicine Hat Police Service, Mike Worden served as a member of the Calgary Police Service over the past 25 years, where he demonstrated his abilities as seasoned leader throughout a successful and progressive policing career.

Chief Worden looks forward to engaging with members of the Service and the community over the coming months as he settles into his new role.

Media Contact:

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

On December 12, 2020, at approximately 2:52 pm members of the Medicine Hat Fire Department and Medicine Hat Police Service responded to a structure fire in the 2100 block of 7 Avenue NE. The fire was contained within a detached garage and no one was injured.

As this time, police are treating the investigation as an arson and members of the Major Crime Section are working to identify the person(s) responsible.

Anyone with information that could assist in the investigation, including the identity of the person in the attached surveillance footage, is asked to contact the MHPS at 403-529-8481 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800 -222-8477 (TIPS). Tips may also be submitted (anonymously if preferred) thru the MHPS Mobile App, which is free and available to download for both Apple and Android devices by searching ‘Medicine Hat Police Service’ on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

Media Contact:

S/Sgt. Darcy Brandt

Major Crime Section

Medicine Hat Police Service

Ph: 403-529-8421

It is with profound sadness we extend our condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Calgary Police Service Sgt. Andrew Harnett, who was killed in the line of duty on December 31, 2020.

While working to keep the community safe, Sgt. Harnett was struck by a vehicle fleeing a traffic stop. Despite the heroic attempts by his colleagues and members of EMS, he died as a result of his injuries.

On behalf of the Medicine Hat Police Service we offer our heartfelt sympathies to the Harnett family and to the members of the Calgary Police Service family.

All police officers share a bond with a common goal to serve our communities and maintain public safety and we mourn this tragedy with our policing partners.

Congratulations to Chief Andy McGrogan as he retires after serving the community of Medicine Hat for more than 40 years!

Chief McGrogan was hired by Medicine Hat Police Service in November of 1980, and throughout his successful and progressive career he worked in a wide variety of positions including; general Patrol Duties, Communications, Canine, Tactical Team Member and Commander, Criminal Investigations and Professional Standards and Development. After serving as an Inspector of both Support and Operational Services, he was appointed to Deputy Chief of Police in September of 2007 until his appointment to Chief in November 2008.

In addition to his work with the MHPS, Chief McGrogan was very active in the community and a long-time supporter of many community organizations. He was a Board Member and Chair of the Medicine Hat Woman’s Shelter Society for six years and a strong advocate in the community on issues that relate to violence against women and children. He served as the Alberta representative for the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police and has participated on a number of other boards such as Canadian Intelligence Services Canada, and the Canadian Police Knowledge Network, a not for profit organization that provides online training solutions for police and law enforcement in Canada. In May of 2016 he was elected as President of the Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police.

Chief McGrogan is passionate about and committed to life-long learning. In 2006 he received his Masters of Arts in Leadership and Training and in 2019 completed a graduate certificate in Executive Coaching, both through Royal Roads University. As a leader he shared his passion for education with others and was instrumental in the development of a collaborative cadet training partnership between the Medicine Hat Police Service (MHPS), the Blood Tribe Police Service (BTPS), Taber Police Service (TPS) and Lethbridge College which results in police cadets receiving academic accreditation through Lethbridge College (LC) for the knowledge and skills they acquired through a competency-based educational program.

In 2014, Chief McGrogan received the Order of Merit of the Police Forces. The Officer of the Order of Merit recognizes outstanding meritorious service in duties of responsibility over an extended period, at the regional and provincial level.

“I feel so much gratitude to this community and to the members and staff of the Police Service both past and present for allowing me to serve at all levels of the organization since 1980 -who ever gets this privilege?” says Chief McGrogan.

Thank you for your hard work and dedication to our community Chief! You will be missed but we wish you the very best on your well deserved retirement.

Between December 14 2020 and December 26 2020, unknown persons entered into a garage in the Ross Glen area of Medicine Hat and stolen a lime green 1971 Dodge Challenger, with Alberta License plate (CCT-9947). The vehicle has a very loud exhaust system and was believed it was stolen, by placing the vehicle into a trailer. The estimated value of the vehicle is $75,000.

Anyone with information regarding the theft of this vehicle or its current location is asked to contact the Medicine Hat Police Service at 403-529-8481

UPDATE Dec 24/20: The MHPS front entrance is safe and secure for public access once again

Due to damaged glass at the front public reception area of the Medicine Hat Police Service building, public access will be temporarily restricted.

On December 23, 2020 at approximately 6:00 AM Patrol members inside the building heard banging on the windows of the front lobby area. Members went to the area and located a 30 year old male with a hammer actively smashing windows. The male was taken into custody.

Damaged areas included the lobby doors as well as the windows of the museum and Community Boardroom and is estimated at $50,000.

Until this area can be repaired members of the public are asked to contact police via the non emergency line 403-529-8481 or 9-1-1 in an emergency. To report a motor vehicle collision with no injuries call the Collision Reporting Centre at 403-581-1070.   Online reports may also be submitted via the MHPS mobile app.

Media Contact:

S/Sgt Trevor Humphries
Administrative Services Division
Medicine Hat Police Service
Ph: 403-502-8917

On December 22. 2020, at about 1620 hours, an SUV was travelling eastbound on the Trans Canada Highway near Box Springs on poor road conditions. The vehicle lost control, skidded sideways through the barricade and rolled into the centre ditch, with total damage estimated at $20,000.

A lone male driver was trapped in the vehicle. MHFD attended and completed an extrication, and the male was transported by EMS to MHRH for further assessment.

The MHPS would like to remind the public that road conditions can change drastically in a short period and to please use extra caution, even when conditions appear favourable.

MHPS would also like to remind the motoring public to please slow down when passing emergency crews at collision scenes, as secondary collisions were narrowly avoided in this instance.

Any enquires can be directed to:

A/Sgt Holeha

MHPS Traffic Unit

The TransCanada Highway has re-opened after a collsion, please use caution while driving as road conditions remain icy.  Please reduce speed and increase space between vehicles 

Emergency services are currently on the scene of a roll over motor vehicle collision on the Trans Canada highway just west of the Box Springs overpass.   Traffic is down to one lane.   Please avoid the area if possible.

The Medicine Hat Police Service (MHPS) and City of Medicine Hat have partnered with the Medicine Hat Rotary Club to provide bicycles to those in need.

Historically, the MHPS will receive approximately 150 reports of bicycles stolen annually, with the majority of the thefts occurring in the spring and summer months. Information from the community suggests that there are additional stolen bicycles that are never reported to police. Many of the bicycles are later recovered but as they were not reported as stolen or registered they remain unclaimed and are eventually sold via public auction with the proceeds directed to the City of Medicine Hat.

“The patterns of theft and recovery indicates that many times the stolen bicycles are simply used as a quick means of transportation” says MHPS Inspector Brent Secondiak, who suggested this joint initiative. In an effort to address this concern and reduce the number of thefts, the City of Medicine Hat has partnered with the Rotary Club of Medicine Hat and will provide 25 bikes to the Club for a nominal fee. The bicycles will be repaired by the Rotary Club and donated to specific individuals within the community who require transportation as identified by local support agencies.

The Rotary Club of Medicine Hat was very enthusiastic when the idea of a bicycle donation program was presented to them. Several members even contributed their own ‘gently used’ bicycles to get the program started. Peter Mueller, a bicycling enthusiast and member of the Club, says “This was a natural fit, a natural way for the Club to help members of the community who may be in need of transportation.” He also saw this initiative as a way to help the MHPS put some of the many unclaimed bicycles back on the road and put to positive use.

Once repaired each bicycle will be identified with the Rotary Club of Medicine Hat decal as well as registered with the MHPS Bike Index program. Bike Index is a non-profit, online bike registry to prove ownership, alert the community if a bike has been stolen, and search a found bicycle to help police return recovered bicycles to their rightful owners as soon as possible.

Bike Index enables owners to create a free account at BikeIndex.org, and register the bike’s details such as: serial number, make, model, colour as well as add a photo to highlight additional details like aftermarket parts and other distinguishing features. Once a bike is registered a Bike Index sticker, each with a unique code can be picked up at the MHPS or by attending Gravity Sports or CyclePath bike shops in Medicine Hat. Owners can then scan the sticker’s code with a smartphone camera and link it to their bike. Bike Index stickers are made of a strong, weather-resistant material and are extremely difficult to remove. They help serve as a deterrent for potential bike thieves by showing the bike is being watched by the entire community and the owner can be identified by simply scanning the code.

If a registered bike goes missing, the owner can log on and mark it as lost or stolen. When the bike is recovered, the code can be scanned and the owner contacted. Even if a bike was not previously registered before it went missing, the owner can still create an account and mark it as stolen. For more information about the BikeIndex registry visit mhps.ca.

The Medicine Hat bicycle donation pilot project will be in effect for one year after which time its effectiveness will be assessed to determine if it should continue.

Media Contact:

Insp Brent Secondiak
Operational Services Division
Medicine Hat Police Service
Ph: 403-529-8412

Peter Mueller
Rotary Club of Medicine Hat
Ph: 403-502-9609

Colleen Graham
Director of Marketing & Communications
City of Medicine Hat
Ph: 403-502-8071