The Medicine Hat Police Service (MHPS) is once again facing serious allegations of overstepping its authority, this time brought forward in an emotional presentation by local advocate Kelly Allard before the Medicine Hat Police Commission. Her testimony painted a troubling picture of a police force that, rather than upholding the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, appears to have systematically ignored or outright violated it - especially when it comes to press freedoms and public accountability.

A Pattern of Suppression

During her presentation, Allard recounted several personal encounters with MHPS officers, including one where she was forcibly removed from a City Hall meeting by police without just cause. At the time, she considered the incident a possible lapse in judgment. However, she soon realized that it was not an isolated event but part of a broader pattern of municipal officials and police working in tandem to suppress public participation and press scrutiny.

She also described an alarming October 8, 2024, incident involving myself, an independent journalist covering a public boardroom meeting. According to Allard, top brass officers, including the chief of police, took aggressive action against me for simply doing my job: reporting on the actions of public officials. This was not the first or last time that Medicine Hat’s law enforcement has attempted to silence journalists covering municipal affairs.

Our team at Community TV, largely made up of female reporters, has repeatedly faced obstruction while investigating City Hall controversies. We’ve encountered security personnel giving us misleading information, such as falsely claiming that open meetings were closed to the public. In some cases, doors that should have remained accessible under transparency laws were locked. When pressed, municipal administrators seemed to believe that by manipulating access and language, they could deceive the public into accepting that a meeting was no longer public. Disturbingly, it appears the police are following their lead; shutting down access and controlling narratives under the pretense of maintaining order.

Silencing a Whistleblower?
While Allard’s speech was permitted to extend well beyond the standard two-minute limit, the conditions under which it was broadcast suggest that the police were not interested in the public hearing her message. I was running a live broadcast from my studio, where I noticed that the microphone at the hearing was not properly amplifying her voice. The YouTube video posted by police is nearly inaudible, meaning much of what she said; about police conduct, trauma, and systemic rights violations - May not be reflected in the record. Fortunately, I was able to boost her audio in real-time, ensuring that the full scope of her testimony remains accessible to the public.

Allard spoke not just as an advocate but as a grandmother who once told her children to turn to the police for help. Now, she teaches her grandchildren a very different lesson: record every interaction with law enforcement and, if possible, live-stream it to a trusted adult. This shift in trust is not just a personal realization but a reflection of broader community concerns. If the police refuse to be held accountable, the only defense citizens have is their own documentation.

A Serious Misconduct Hearing: Hidden in Plain Sight?

Adding to the growing concerns about transparency and accountability, we discovered a notice buried deep within the Medicine Hat Police Service’s website regarding an upcoming disciplinary hearing:

“Upcoming Public Police Act Hearings:

On April 1, 2025, at 9:00 am, the Medicine Hat Police Service will be holding a Disciplinary Hearing relating to file #24-005. This hearing is open to the public and will be held at the Medicine Hat Community Boardroom located at 884 2 St. SE, Medicine Hat, Alberta. An officer is facing several counts of discreditable conduct, several counts of neglect of duty, and one count of deceit. This hearing is scheduled for the entering of a plea to these charges.

Despite the serious nature of the allegations—discreditable conduct, neglect of duty, and deceit, the MHPS has made no effort to publicize this hearing. There have been no press releases, no public engagement, and no official statements acknowledging that an officer is facing charges severe enough to warrant a disciplinary hearing. This tactic, placing information where it is technically available but difficult to find, suggests an effort to comply with transparency laws while avoiding real public scrutiny.”

Moving Forward: Training and Accountability

We fully support Kelly Allard’s proposal for a public awareness campaign or training program on the Charter rights of independent journalists and the responsibilities of police officers in protecting those rights. The reality is that our municipal administration and police force have created an environment where it is not a question of if a journalist or advocate will be unlawfully arrested, but rather how much force will be used in the process.

The Medicine Hat Police Service must be reminded that public meetings are, by law, public. Police officers cannot arbitrarily decide that a meeting is no longer open simply because they do not like the direction it is taking. Independent journalism exists to hold power accountable, not to be silenced at the whim of those in authority.

This is not just about one journalist, one advocate, or one newsroom. It is about the fundamental right of every citizen to participate in democracy without fear of intimidation or suppression. The Medicine Hat Police Commission allowed Allard to speak at length, now, the question is whether they will act on what they heard.