Nov 19 Medicine Hat Police Commission Meeting
Family Crime Unit Presentation, One Sentence Budget Update, Procedures Lacking
Family Crime Unit Presentation
The bulk of the meeting was taken up by a presentation from the Family Crime Unit, Sgt Hubick and Cst Dola. It was very informative and worth watching - it comes early in the meeting.
The MHPS has a couple of dogs that help when they must question children. Children often find it comforting to hold or pet a dog when talking about traumatic issues. Of course they make sure the child is comfortable with the dogs and the dogs are well trained. The FCU does everything they can to make the process easier on the children.
Courtesy of Medicine Hat Police Service Facility Dogs Facebook Page
The Family Crime Unit is a very demanding, very stressful position. Officers must often deal with the dregs of society, especially those who prey on children. The work takes a toll on the officers who are in this unit as well as those who must prosecute the crimes as Councillor Cocks pointed out, being a former prosecutor himself.
The investigative methods that they use have changed over the years, they do not use the dolls like you see in the movies. They highlighted two historical cases where an investigation was mishandled - McMartin Preschool investigation in 1983 and the Martensville Daycare Investigation in Saskatchewan in 1992 (part of the Satanic Panic). These investigations had serious errors which caused trauma to many people -
The children who were not questioned properly; some were at continued risk
The falsely accused who still cannot shake the damage to their reputations including police officers
The taxpayers who paid for expensive trials and/or settlements to the falsely accused
In early 2024, the Medicine Hat Police Service (MHPS) lost their embedded CFS worker due to operational needs with Child and Family Services (CFS). However because they had built up relationships over the last ten years, they still had the same worker in their building and were able to share information.
Stats were shared as to how many cases they handle, how they are handled and the groups that the FCU works with.
None of the presentation materials were in the agenda packet, a deviation from the way City Council agendas are typically handled. You must watch the meeting to get all the details. Yes, the meetings are broadcast and remain available on YouTube but transparency means communicating information in as many ways as possible - when slides are created for a presentation, it is not difficult to include those slides in the agenda packet for the corporate record.
Limited “Community Consultation”
The Medicine Hat Police Commission (MHPC) agendas include a scheduled spot for “Community Consultation” but there is no opportunity for people to offer their input by electronic means. You must either attend in person or submit your question/comments in writing. (If you have questions, it is best to submit them in writing in advance so they can be prepared with an answer.)
Section 5 (2) of the Police Commission Bylaw #1651 states
“The Commission in the conduct of its meetings shall follow with the necessary changes those procedures provided for in the Procedure Bylaw 4725 of the City of Medicine Hat, as amended or replaced.”
(You will have to search for the above bylaw here, I cannot link it.)
Appendix C of Procedure Bylaw 4725 says
“5. Persons wishing to make representations at the Public Hearing may do so by: (a) attending the Public Hearing in person at City Hall; or
(b) through Electronic Means as posted on the City’s website by turning on their camera and virtually raising their hand at the appropriate juncture in the proceedings as detailed in section 4.55. “
A Public Hearing is meant to allow the public to “have their say”. While the Community Consultation is not a Public Hearing, it stands to reason that this would apply to any opportunity for verbal public input. Yes, people can submit their input in writing but mere written words do not convey emotion or tone.
The Owl did reach out to MHPC Chair Paul Carolan who responded with
“Thank you for your question. Our next scheduled Medicine Hat Police Commission meeting is on January 21, 2026. The Commission will discuss your question at that time. Following the discussion, I will provide you with an update. In the meantime, members of the public are able to submit their comments or questions electronically.”
Police Budget Update
As usual, the budget update delivered by Deputy Chief Saini was one sentence long -
“We are currently projecting a small positive variance and we expect to have a small negative variance by the end of the year, we will keep you updated.”
NB - the next MHPC meeting is not until next year, January 21.
Chair Paul Carolan did not ask the commission members if anybody had any questions; he merely thanked Deputy Chief Saini and moved on to the next agenda item. None of the Commission members asked any questions about the budget update including our new (old) council members, Cocks and Clugston.
Many people feel this is unsatisfactory. The police budget is over $28 million per year, accounting for nearly one third of the tax-supported portion of the budget. The public has a right to know how their hard earned money is spent. While the Owl is sure that the Police Commission receives more detail, the public receives effectively nothing.
Page 114 of the 2025 Municipal Inspection Report says
“Discussing council agenda items informally prior to council meetings, and in the absence of the public is an improper practice and a matter of concern. The primacy of the public council table needs to be respected. This is why discussion and debate amongst members of city council is reserved for official council and committee meetings where the public has a right to be present in accordance with legislative requirements for the decision-making process.”
While the above is in reference to City Council and Committee meetings, the Inspection did not include the Police Commission. It stands to reason that the above policies would also apply to the MHPC. The Police Commission Bylaw confirms this. Section 5 (2) of the Police Commission Bylaw #1651 states
“The Commission in the conduct of its meetings shall follow with the necessary changes those procedures provided for in the Procedure Bylaw 4725 of the City of Medicine Hat, as amended or replaced.”
6.11 of Procedure Bylaw 4725 states
Protocols of Agenda Items
6.11 The protocol of addressing each agenda item will be:
(a) if requested by the Chair, Administration provides initial introduction/presentation;
(b) questions from Members;
(c) delegations/submissions from the public;
(d) informal discussion by Members;
(e) formal motion;
(f) formal discussion/debate; and
(g) vote.
Often Council members will ask questions of staff, not because they are uninformed but to ensure that the public is informed. Commission members could do the same when it comes to the police budget.
The Owl has reached out to MHPC chair Paul Carolan about following Procedure Bylaw 4725 but has not yet received a response.
Some Say It’s Time for the MHPC to Update Their Procedures
The finances of the MHPS seem to be shrouded in secrecy. While the Owl has no indication that anything nefarious is happening, we also happen to believe in transparency for public spending.
The City provides reports about:
- Council member travel and training expenses
- City Manager and Managing Directors travel and other expenses
However, the public currently receives no information about travel expenses of MHPC members or the highest ranking members of the MHPS.
People are asking -
Why are we not receiving the same information the City of Medicine Hat provides?
