Lethbridge Police Service

The Lethbridge Police Service, formerly known as the Lethbridge Regional Police Service, was established 1905, and serves the city of Lethbridge, a community in southern Alberta of approximately 101,482 in its 2019 municipal census.

Lethbridge Police Service
MottoProviding Safe Communities
Agency overview
Formed1905
Volunteers50 as of 2017
Jurisdictional structure
Legal jurisdictionMunicipal
Operational structure
Sworn members172 as of 2017
Unsworn members61 as of 2017
Elected officer responsible
Agency executive
Facilities
Stations1
Website
Official website

History

The Lethbridge Police Force was established in 1902 with a staff of two constables and served a population of about 2,000. Thomas "the Just" Lewis was appointed the chief of police. In 2009, the police service employed 155 officers, 47 civilian staff and over 40 civilian volunteers, and served a population of 92,435. Two officers have been killed in the line of duty, Acting Sergeant Paul Smith in 1913 and Constable Cal Byam in 1964.

In July 2020, two members of the Lethbridge Police Service were demoted for inappropriately using their police jobs in 2017 to follow and photograph Alberta NDP MLA Shannon Phillips, then the Minister of Environment and Parks of Alberta. Phillips was in the process of meeting with stakeholders in the lead-up to the formation of Castle Provincial Park, where the two officers had an interest in off-road vehicle driving. One of the officers took photos of the meeting and ran a police check on the stakeholder; the photo was later published on Facebook under a pseudonym alongside criticism of the NDP government. After an investigation by the Medicine Hat Police Service, charges were laid against the two officers, who admitted to the misconduct charges.[1]

Lethbridge Regional Police Commission

The service is governed by a nine-person commission composed of three members of the Lethbridge City Council and six citizens. The commission oversees the service, allocates funds from the council and establishes policing policies. They provide instruction to the police chief regarding sufficient staffing levels.

Organization

The head of the service is Chief Robert A. Davis, who has over 28 years of policing experience, primarily in Ontario. The executive officers heading the service's four divisions are Inspector Tom Ascroft, Inspector Colin Catonio, Inspector Jeff Cove, and Inspector Bill Kaye.

Rank

The rank structure consists of the following:

RANKS Chief of police Deputy chief Inspector Staff sergeant Sergeant Senior constable Constable
Insignia
No insignia

Training

As of 2005, newly hired officers must complete the Police Recruit Training Program through the Centre for Advancement in Community Justice, located at the Lethbridge College.

Structure

The organization of the police service includes four divisions: community policing, criminal investigation, administrative support and support services.

Community policing

The community policing division is mandated to maintain the peace, protect life and property, and the prevention and detection of crime. It is composed of the following units:

  • Patrol services
  • Downtown policing
  • Traffic safety
  • Court liaison
  • Community resource
  • Victim services

Criminal investigation

The criminal investigation division provides support services to ongoing investigations through the dissemination of intelligence and investigation assistance. Units in the division include:

  • Violent crime
  • Forensic identification
  • Crime analysis
  • Property crime
  • Serious habitual offenders
  • Special operations
  • Criminal intelligence
  • Economic crime
  • National weapons enforcement
  • Gaming and liquor enforcement

Administrative support

The administrative support division oversees the following areas:

  • Human resources
  • Professional standards
  • Policy and accreditation
  • Property and exhibits
  • Business management

Support services

The support services division provides support to all other divisions as required, including a specialized response to ongoing crises and ensuring the continuous flow of information. This division includes:

  • Public safety communications
  • Information technology
  • Records management
  • Tactical unit
  • Canine unit
  • Explosive disposal unit

Fleet

Patrol

Traffic and photo radar

Special use
  • GMC Yukon (supervisor)
  • Chevrolet Impala (school resource officers)
  • Dodge Grand Caravan (forensics)
  • Ford Transit van (forensics)
  • Chevrolet Tahoe Marked and Stealth (canine)

Equipment

Officers are equipped with SIG Sauer P226 pistols in .40 S&W. In 2019, Lethbridge Police Service purchased Glock 17 Gen 5's in 9mm to replace the P226. Currently, members can choose one or the other to carry on duty.

Controversies

The Lethbridge Police Service received worldwide ridicule on May 4, 2020, when the police forced assaulted a teenage girl dressed in a Star Wars stormtrooper uniform. The teenager was reported to be carrying a toy Star Wars blaster on Star Wars Day in front of a Star Wars themed restaurant. The Lethbridge Police Service has initiated a service investigation of itself into the incident. [2]

The force is also known for not laying charges after one of their officers used their police vehicle to run over a deer. [3]

See also

References
  1. White, Ryan (14 July 2020). "Lethbridge police officers demoted for tracking Alberta minister over park plans". CTV News. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  2. "STORMTROOPER TAKEN DOWN BY COPS Over Plastic Toy Blaster". www.tmz.com. 6 May 2020.
  3. https://globalnews.ca/news/5434425/lethbridge-police-officer-deer-no-charges/
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