ARTICLES

The Municipal Enforcement Section is a team of Community Peace Officers (CPO) appointed by the Alberta Solicitor General and Minister of Public Security. Working closely with the Medicine Hat Police Service, Municipal Bylaw Enforcement works to educate and ensure compliance with City Bylaws and select Provincial Statutes.

Municipal Enforcement is responsible for:

• Traffic Enforcement
• Parking Control
• Community Standards
• Domestic Animal and Pet Control
• Dangerous Snake Apprehension and Relocation
• Weed Control and Property Standards
• Homeless Encampment Control
• Noise Enforcement
• Found Property
• Oversize Load Escorts
• Subpoena and Summons Service
• Criminal Code Fingerprinting

Community Peace Officers are scheduled for various shifts through the week as well as weekends and statutory holidays. All calls are responded to in a timely manner, within 48 hours.

A proper investigation and follow-up will begin when you provide your name, address, contact information, as well as the needed information for the concern you have. 

• Date/time/duration of the event
• What the event/concern is
• Location of the event/concern
• Specific information such as the description of the vehicle and a license plate, description of the animal (breed, colour), type of noise, etc.

At times, the investigating officer will need you to produce a signed statement and may need you to attend court. If this is the case, the officer will inform you and explain the process. Your personal information is essential to investigations and is kept in the strictest confidence. The Freedom of Information and Privacy Act (FOIP) governs the collecting and dissemination of all personal information. If you are required to be a witness in a court proceeding, your legal name may be released to the defendant. For more information about FOIP Act visit https://www.alberta.ca/freedom-of-information-and-protection-of-privacy

Hours of operation:

• Office hours: 8:00 am to 4:00 pm
• Community Peace Officer hours: 7:00 am to 10:00 pm alternating shifts

Contact Information:

• Complaint Line 403-529-8481
• Supervisor Municipal Bylaw Enforcement 403-529-8436

To view information related to some of the common bylaws and access forms visit our Quick Links page.

May 10, 2024 – UPDATE – Male Charged with Mischief

On May 9, 2024, a male was arrested and charged in connection to a series of businesses and personal vehicles that were damaged in the early morning hours of May 8, 2024.  As a result of the investigation, Robert Leduc, a 52-years-old, of no fixed address, has been charged with several offences including: 

• Four counts of Mischief over $5000
• Seven counts of Mischief Under $5000
• One count of Cause a False Fire Alarm

Leduc was remanded into custody and scheduled to appear in Calgary Court of Justice on May 10, 2024.

The Medicine Hat Police Service extends a thank you to everyone who provided information that aided in the investigation.

Media Contact:
S/Sgt Trevor Humphries
Patrol Section
Medicine Hat Police Service
Ph: 403-529-8461

Public Assistance Requested - Mischief to Property

The Medicine Hat Police Service is seeking public assistance to help further the investigation into damages reported at several local businesses and to private vehicles.

At approximately 4:30 AM on May 8^th, 2024, members of the MHPS Patrol Section responded to a report of damage to a commercial building located in the 0 block of Carry Drive SE. Upon arrival, officers observed extensive damage to the business with numerous windows that had been smashed. Patrol officers were then directed to six other businesses in the vicinity that also had numerous windows that had been broken.  In addition, there were vehicles in the area that also had broken windows, as well as a telecommunication box in the area that had been vandalized. It is believed that the same suspect(s) is responsible for all incidents.

The investigation is ongoing and the MHPS is requesting anyone with information that could assist the investigation into these incidents to call 403-529-8481. Business owners with video surveillance of the area around the time of the offence are asked to check their footage and report if they have video of the suspect. The MHPS is also asking the public for their assistance in identifying a male subject in the attached picture who may have information regarding these incidents.

Tips can be submitted, anonymously if preferred, via the MHPS website (mhps.ca) or mobile app. The app is free to download and is available for both Android and Apple devices.

S/Sgt Rod Thompson
Patrol Section
Medicine Hat Police Service
Ph: 403-529-8461

Four people have been arrested and nearly $90,000 worth of methamphetamine and cocaine has been seized by ALERT.

ALERT Medicine Hat’s organized crime team made the drug seizures on April 11 and April 30, 2024, as two planned vehicle stops were conducted. The Medicine Hat Police Service and Brooks RCMP provided assistance.

“Our team is focused on community safety and by intercepting the drug shipment before it reached the city we have prevented these harmful substances from hitting the streets,” said Ryan Thorburn, ALERT Medicine Hat.

ALERT seized 500 grams of methamphetamine and 573 grams of cocaine. A vehicle was also seized that will be submitted to the province’s civil forfeiture office.

Four people face numerous drug-related offences:

• Aaron Hotchen, 59-year-old from Medicine Hat;
• Melissa Shpak, 34-year-old from Medicine Hat;
• Terry Van Huizen, 31-year-old from Medicine Hat; and
• Heidi Clampitt, 25-year-old from Medicine Hat.

The investigation began in February 2024 in response to community concerns related to drug trafficking in the Medicine Hat region.

In Medicine Hat, members of the public who suspect drug activity can contact the MHPS by calling 403-529-8481 or submitting tips online (anonymously if preferred) via the website at mhps.ca or the MHPS mobile app. The app is free to download and available for both Apple and Android devices.

Albertans who suspect drug or gang activity in their community can call local police or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Crime Stoppers is always anonymous.

ALERT was established and is funded by the Alberta Government and is a compilation of the province’s most sophisticated law enforcement resources committed to tackling serious and organized crime.

Media inquiries may be directed to:

Mike Tucker

Communications Director

Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT)

780-509-3015

Three people have been arrested after a handgun and drugs were seized. ALERT made the arrest in Brooks, Alta. on information that drugs were being couriered into Medicine Hat.

Abdullah Mela was arrested on February 28, 2025 by ALERT with help from Brooks RCMP. The 28-year-old Calgary man was allegedly transporting drugs to Medicine Hat when his vehicle was stopped in Brooks, Alta.

Inside Mela’s vehicle ALERT located just over one kilogram of methamphetamine and a loaded Glock handgun. Mela has a lifetime firearms prohibition as the result of a 2021 manslaughter conviction.

“There exists an inherent violence within the drug trade and taking a firearm out of the hands of a drug dealer is a win for public safety,” said Staff Sergeant Ryan Thorburn, ALERT.

Following the traffic stop and arrest, ALERT searched two homes in Medicine Hat with help from the Medicine Hat Police Service. The search of the homes resulted in the seizure of more drugs and cash, and two more people were arrested.

In total, ALERT seized an estimated $185,000 worth of drugs, including:

•              Loaded Glock handgun;

•              1,015 grams of methamphetamine;

•              493 grams of cocaine;

•              330 grams of fentanyl;

•              884 hydromorphone pills;

•              $34,730 cash.

The handgun is being submitted to ALERT’s Provincial Firearms Lab to determine if it was used in any other criminal offences.

Abdullah Mela is charged with possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking and multiple firearms-related offences. Mela remains in custody and is scheduled for a bail decision on March 7, 2025.

Omar Farhat, 50 years old from Medicine Hat, and Bonnie Mather, 64 years old from Medicine Hat, have also been charged with multiple drug-related offences.

In Medicine Hat, members of the public who suspect drug activity can contact the MHPS by calling 403-529-8481 or submitting tips online (anonymously if preferred) via the website at mhps.ca or the MHPS mobile app. The app is free to download and available for both Apple and Android devices.

ALERT was established and is funded by the Alberta Government and is a compilation of the province’s most sophisticated law enforcement resources committed to tackling serious and organized crime.

Media inquiries may be directed to:

Mike Tucker

Communications Director

Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT)

780-509-3015

The Medicine Hat Police Service will be conducting an over dimensional load escort on March 5, 2025, starting at 9:00 am.  The over dimensional load will consist of two loads and will be starting at Bromley Mechanical (925 23 Street SW) to the west Redcliff town limits on Highway #1. Traffic will be affected in both the East and West bound lanes on highway #1 and in the SW industrial Area due to counterflowing of the over dimensional load.  Please avoid these areas if possible and arrange to take alternate routes, please be patient and follow all police/bylaw/pilot vehicle directions.

A 39-year-old man has been charged with kidnapping and sexual assault after a woman was held against her will.

In the early morning hours of March 2, 2025, a woman was approached by an unknown man who offered her a ride home. The man was driving a vehicle with an Alberta license plate. After repeatedly declining his advances, the woman eventually accepted the ride.

Once inside the vehicle, the man made unwanted sexual advances toward her. Instead of following the woman’s directions, the man drove onto the Trans-Canada Highway. The woman made several attempts to convince him to stop, eventually trying to physically force him to let her out. The man ignored her pleas and continued driving on the highway before turning into a residential area at a high rate of speed.

The victim was later picked up by family, who contacted police. The suspect’s vehicle was located a short time later leading to the arrest of the suspect.

Resulting from this investigation, Solomon Weldemichael, of Brooks, AB has been charged with Kidnapping and Sexual Assault. Weldemichael was held for a bail hearing and released with conditions. He is due to appear in court on March 18th.

Media Contact:

Acting S/Sgt. Darren Lole
Criminal Investigation Section
Medicine Hat Police Service
Ph: (403) 581 1061

An early morning traffic stop results in charges for possession of stolen property and forgery

At approximately 2:15 a.m. on March 1, 2025, a Medicine Hat Police Service patrol officer conducted a traffic stop in the area of Redcliff Drive Southwest after observing a stop sign violation.

During the interaction with the driver and passengers, officers determined that the registered owner of the vehicle was not present. Additionally, officers observed illegal contraband in plain view inside the vehicle, prompting the arrest of all occupants.

A subsequent search of the vehicle uncovered multiple counterfeit motor vehicle VINs. Further investigation confirmed that the 2021 Lexus GX4 SUV the occupants were driving was a stolen vehicle, which had been fitted with a counterfeit VIN.

Resulting from this investigation, three male subjects, 18-year-old Ali Shain from Lasalle, Quebec, 21-year-old Mohit Prasher from Montreal, Quebec, and 24-year-old Varun Mittal from Calgary have been charged with possession of stolen property and forgery.

Shahin was remanded in custody while Prasher and Mittal have court appearances scheduled for April.

Media Contact:

S/Sgt. Rod Thompson
Patrol Section
Medicine Hat Police Service
Ph: 403-529-8416

March is Fraud Prevention Month in Canada, a month-long crime prevention initiative aimed at educating and informing consumers and the community on how to recognize, report, and stop fraud.

Frauds continue to victimize thousands of Canadians annually resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars being stolen from them.  Medicine Hatters are not immune to these scams.

There is a wide range of scams used by fraudsters. The best way to protect yourself from becoming a victim of fraud is to educate yourself on current trends and remain skeptical of any situation that appears too good to be true.  Criminals are constantly changing their tactics, and they are becoming more complex in their delivery of the scams.

Throughout the month, the Medicine Hat Police Service Community Support Unit will be sharing information on how to recognize and prevent citizens from becoming victims of common frauds and scams. 

This week the focus is on relationship scams which prey on our human need to connect with others. Relationships scams exploit a longing for friendship and relationships for the purpose of financial gain.

Communication often begins through a friend request or a “like” on a publicly shared photo.  These scams may continue for months or years with the victim truly believing that the suspect loves them and has their best interests at stake.  They will often convince the victim to send money to help them pay bills, or to pay for flights so that the suspect can visit the victim.  The suspect often has excuses for not using the money as intended and will request more money.  They will often video-call the victim to make the fraud seem more legitimate. 

In some cases, the victim’s friends or relatives realize the relationship is a fraud and must convince the victim who is deeply invested in the relationship. This fraud preys on people’s need for love and cannot only be financially draining but hear breaking.

Another common scam is the Grandparent scam where a scammer contacts someone pretending to be a loved one that is in trouble.  The trouble may include being arrested and needing bail money or having a serious incident happen where finances are needed quickly. Often the scammer will attempt to convince the victim that they need money within a quick timeline and request for the victim to keep the circumstances secret to not create embarrassment for them or their family.  We all want to keep our loved ones safe and want to help them where we can, which leads to the success of this fraud. This type of fraud exploits this care in hopes to trick the victim into believing they are a relative and sending them money. 

Extortion scams happen when a scammer obtains, or pretends to obtain, private information from someone or their family member and threatens to release this information if the victim does not pay money.  This often happens through social media applications and can often be associated to inappropriate photographs; however, it can also include any type of private information. The worry is that there is not guarantee that the information, if even possessed, would not be released anyway.

The best way to defeat these types of scams is through communication! If we find ourselves being requested to provide money to anyone that we don’t know well, especially over the internet, it is recommended that you ask somebody you trust about the situation. A review of these types of situations by someone not involved will often give a fresh perspective and typically lead to stopping the fraud. Further, it is important to remember that the internet is forever and that we need to be cautious of anything, including words, photos, or videos, that we post that could be used against us.  Once it goes on the internet, our content has the potential to end up in people’s hands that we don’t want.

For more information on common frauds and scams visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre website.

Media Contact:

Sgt. Adam Gregory
Medicine Hat Police Service
Community Support Unit
Ph: 403-529-8451

After receiving information that a group of youths were in possession of a .22 rifle and various replica firearms, allegedly used in violent criminal activities, the Medicine Hat Police Service (MHPS) launched an investigation.

On February 25, 2025, the Major Crimes Unit and Patrol Section, with assistance from the MHPS Tactical Team, executed a search warrant at a residence on Industrial Avenue SE. The search resulted in the seizure of a sawed-off, defaced Ruger 10/22 rifle with live ammunition, a replica handgun, bear spray, and a machete.

As a result of this investigation, four youths have been charged with several criminal offenses, including assault with a weapon, possession of a prohibited weapon without a license, possession of a firearm without a license, defacing or removing a firearm's serial number, possession of a weapon dangerous to the public, uttering threats, and three counts of breaching release conditions.

Two of the youths have been remanded into provincial youth custody, while the other two were released on bail with conditions, pending their court appearance in April 2025. Under the provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, the identities of all parties involved remain confidential.

Media Contact: 

Acting S/Sgt Darren Lole
Criminal Investigation Section
Medicine Hat Police Service
Ph: (403) 581 1061

During the evening hours of February 15, 2025, officers from the Medicine Hat Police Service Patrol Section were conducting property checks when they observed two suspicious individuals near a business in the 700 block of 16 Street Southwest.

After a further search of the area, they discovered that a business was insecure. Further investigation revealed that the two individuals were in possession of stolen property from the business. Both suspects were arrested for break, enter, and theft, and all stolen property was successfully returned to the business owner.

The first accused, a 43-year-old Medicine Hat man, has been charged with break, enter, and theft and is scheduled to appear in court on March 11, 2025. The second accused, a 29-year-old Medicine Hat woman, has also been charged with break and enter and has been compelled to appear in court on the same date.