ARTICLES

On the morning of August 10^th at around 4:00 am a member of the Medicine Hat Police was conducting a property check in the 600 block of Bridge Street SE and located a suspicious female trespassing in the area.  While the female was being arrested she brandished a box cutting knife, striking the officer in the face.  The officer sustained only a minor injury and did not require medical attention. The female, who will not be named, was subsequently charged with Assaulting a Police officer and Possession of a Weapon Dangerous. 

On August 5^th members of the MHPS Patrol Section attended to Hill Pool at 44 7 Street SW for a report of a mischief to the swimming pool. Investigators have determined that the damage occurred sometime between the late evening hours of August 4^th and the early morning hours of August 5^th. It was reported that a liquid substance was intentionally poured into the pool which will result in thousands of dollars of clean up, inconvenience and lost enjoyment for summer swimmers.

Members of the public who may have any information pertaining to this crime can call local police, or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Crime Stoppers is always anonymous. Medicine Hat residents can also submit tips anonymously through the Medicine Hat Police Service mobile app, which is free to download and available for both Apple and Android devices.

Media Contact:

S/Sgt Thompson

In the early morning daylight hours of August 2, 2020, Medicine Hat Fire Service and South East Alberta Search and Rescue returned to the South Saskatchewan River to begin the remains of the 31 year-old male who had been swept away into the river the previous day.

At about 11:15 am, August 2, 2020, Medicine Hat Fire Service located the remains of the male who had been previously reported as missing.

Foul play, alcohol, and drugs are not believed to be factors in this instance, however, the Medicine Hat Police Service has commenced a death investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of the individual. This is a normal function of the police and their duties as investigators on behalf of the Office of the Medical Examiner.

The following City of Medicine Hat Resources were deployed:

• Medicine Hat Fire Service
• Medicine Hat Police Service

Community Resources that contributed to the search and recovery were:

• HALO
• South Eastern Alberta Search and Rescue

The Medicine Hat Police Service Victim Assistance Unit is supporting the family with on-going support during the grief process.  

The Medicine Hat Police Service will not be releasing the name of the decedent.

On August 1, 2020 at 5:36 PM, emergency services were called to the area of the South Saskatchewan River near Finlay Bridge, as an adult male had gone missing while in the river. Police, Fire, South Eastern Alberta Search and Rescue, and HALO searched the river and surrounding area, however, by darkness he had not been located. Foul play, alcohol, and drugs are not believed to be factors. The male is described as Caucasian, 31 years old, 6’1” tall, and was wearing blue camouflage shorts. Anyone with information in relation to this incident is asked to call police at 403-529-8481. The search is to resume during daylight hours.

Emergency Crews are currently on the scene of a water rescue event at the South Saskatchewan River in Medicine Hat, Alberta.  

Please avoid the area and provide the emergency crews with room to work.

Further updates to follow.  

At about 1:30 pm, July 30, 2020, two patrol members were conducting a foot patrol of the down town core, when they were approached by a member of the public who reported open air intravenous drug use in the 400 Block of 5 Ave SE.

The patrol members located the group believed to be the persons involved.  While speaking with the individuals, the police officers observed drug paraphernalia consistent with the complaint.  One person in the group was found to be at large on a warrant for arrest.

As a result, a 31-year-old male was arrested on his warrant.  The male was searched as an incident to his arrest.  Police located the following items on the male:

• Stainless steel axe;
• Throwing knife;
• Stun Gun (prohibited weapon).

The male has been charged with the following:

• Breach of a Release Order;
• Possession of a Prohibited Weapon.

The accused is currently in custody awaiting a bail hearing. Because his charges have not yet been sworn, the police service will not be releasing the name of the accused at this time.

The MHPS will be focusing on young drivers during the month of August as part of the province wide Selected Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP). Vehicle crashes are the number one killer of young people in Alberta. Age, inexperience, distraction and peer pressure are significant factors in vehicle related injuries and death during the teen years. Crash rates for young drivers are the highest when there are teen passengers in the vehicle and when driving at night. One in five new drivers will be involved in a collision in their first year of driving.

Parents play a vital role in teaching their teens to drive. Parents of teen drivers should set a good example behind the wheel, and set specific rules for their teen driver and stick to them. Parents can also enroll their teen driver in driver education, and most importantly, help your teen to practice driving.

Did you know? In Alberta, a parent of a driver under 18 years of age must give written consent to allow their teen to get their operator’s license. Parents can revoke that permission at any time, and their teen’s operator’s license will be revoked. Parents maintain that right until their teen reaches the age of 18 years. If a parent or legal guardian wishes to withdraw parental consent, they may be required to submit their request in writing to any Alberta Registry Office. The parental withdrawal MUST be initiated by the same parent/person who signed the original consent form.

In August, the MHPS will also focus on Distracted Drivers, which continues to be a traffic safety priority. Many motorists continue to operate their vehicles while distracted, regardless of the fines and demerits associated with the offence. The risks associated with distracted driving closely resemble those of impairment, and it’s no surprise that governments are taking that next step to try and limit these occurrences.

In Alberta, the penalty for distracted driving is a $287 fine and three (3) demerit points. Drivers also need to be aware that the legislation is not specific to only texting or talking on a device, but states it is an offence to “hold, view, or manipulate” a hand-held device.

The Traffic Safety Act restricts drivers from:

• Holding, viewing or manipulating hand held cell phones, whether talking, texting or emailing
• using electronic devices like laptop computers, video games, cameras, video entertainment displays and programming portable audio players (MP3 players)
• entering information on GPS units
• reading printed materials in the vehicle
• writing, printing or sketching
• and personal grooming

A driver can pull over to the side of the road to use their devices, providing they are stopped and legally parked. If a driver is not in a legal parking spot, for instance a drive-thru, a ticket can still be issued. The only time a driver can use their cell phone while driving is to call in an emergency situation to a 9-1-1 Communications Centre.

For more information, contact:

Sgt. Gerald Sadlemyer

Traffic Unit

Medicine Hat Police Service

403-529-8471

The August 2020 Bylaw Education and Enforcement Program (BEEP) will be focusing on the animal care provisions under the Responsible Animal Ownership Bylaw, and cats to be specific.

Everyday your pet shows you unconditional love and affection; return the favour by being a responsible animal owner. To keep your pet happy, healthy and safe, and to demonstrate that you are a responsible pet owner be sure to:

• Keep cats within the confines of your property at all times. The use of a leash or outside cat play area are great ways to allow cats some outside time. Cats do cause some concerns while out and about such as messing in flower beds, spraying and marking territory and of course hunting.
• All cats, even the ones in apartments require a license, just like dogs. A license allows officers to easily identify you pet should they get lost and return it home to you.
• Spay or Neuter your cat. The over population of cats remains a very sad and difficult issue to get a head of. We must remain vigilant in spaying and neutering each and every cat, failure to do so results in starvation, disease, and death.
• Lastly, adopt, don’t shop. Adopting cats that have been vet checked ensures you will have a healthy cat, spaying and neutering cats protects the population , be a part of the solution and not problem.

For more information on being a responsible animal owner, visit the mhps.ca. For information about cats available for adoption visit to www.aparc.ca.

Media Contact:
Supt Heather Trail
Municipal Bylaw Enforcement Section
Medicine Hat Police Service
Ph: 403-529-8436
 

Due to COVID-19 the Medicine Hat Police Service will not be hosting an auction this year and instead items normally disposed of through the police auction, including bikes, will be sold as part of upcoming Gateway Auction sales on August 22 and 29/20. Visit www.gwacountry.com for all of the details and to bid online.

Police are clear from the scene of the fire, however, a Medicine Hat Fire Service - Fire Investigator remains on scene in an attempt to determine the cause and the origin of the fire.