LPS and LPC unveil strategic plan

For the first time in six years the Lethbridge Police Service and Lethbridge Police Commission hosted a town hall meeting Tuesday night.

The department unveiled the priorities of their strategic plan to a crowd of roughly 50 local residents at the Galt Museum, where terms like governance, organizational excellence, partnerships and engagement were the buzzwords of the evening.

One resident asked how commission members are appointed and if more diversity will be added to the force going forward.

“I do know the city's been looking at it, we've been consulted on some of the steps that they're taking,” said police commission chair Ron Van Spronsen. 

“It’s in the works and so we need to more strongly advocate for diversity on our commission.”

The LPC is also seeking feedback from the public on their strategic plan, which can be done by answering three questions online.

“The first thing we want to hear is are there any gaps?” said Van Spronsen.

“These are our thinking in terms of strategic priorities, and did we miss anything? We want to get that feedback, and I think secondly, we would like to know from the community what do they see as the No. 1 priority?”

 

The department unveiled the priorities of their strategic plan to a crowd of roughly 50 local residents at the Galt Museum, where terms like governance, organizational excellence, partnerships and engagement were the buzzwords of the evening.

CRIME STATISTICS

LPS chief Shahin Mehdizadeh also presented some of the city's recent crime statistics. The only area that saw a rise in service calls between 2020 and last year was the downtown zone, an area the chief would like to see a change in.

“It may mean more visibility or projects that we can do, but another piece is really working with our citizens through different programs for crime prevention and making sure crime isn't easy to do downtown,” detailed Mehdizadeh.

Another resident was curious why there was no mention of leadership in the LPS strategic plan.

“My hope going forward is that you plant a seed and that creates a thought that inspires action and that leads to meaningful change.

“That leads to a better community, a better city and a better world.”

Chief Mehdizadeh said everyone who spoke at Tuesday’s meeting was heard.

“All the stuff that the crowd has mentioned has already been under review and we’ve made changes to them in the last year and a half,” said Mehdizadeh.

“I’m not here to change the past, I can’t do that, I can just look at what were doing today and moving forward. If we see any more gaps we can certainly address that.”

Chief Mehdizadeh said when he joined the LPS, he came here with a vision and a hope of doing at least four town hall meetings a year in different areas of the city so that specific challenges throughout the community can be properly addressed. 

The LPS will also be conducting a phone survey for residents to provide input on their four-year strategic plan in May.