Justice minister pleased with Lethbridge Police action plan

The LPS Action plan is built on five pillars: ethics and accountability, leadership development, employee wellness and mental health education, database access, and communications strategy.

Minister Shandro has reviewed the completed LPS Action Plan and wrote back to local officials in a letter dated August 25, 2022.

He called the plan a “very thorough and professional document,” and commended both the LPS and LPC for their diligence and commitment to detail.

Shandro says the approach taken in the action plan will help to ensure that the citizens of Lethbridge live in a safe and secure community.

“In my view, the action plan maps out the efficient and effective steps that the LPS has taken to revitalize and renew its workplace culture. The detailed strategies laid out in the document serve as a blueprint for bringing about real change within the service,” Shandro says in the letter.

The minister said it was interesting to note that the action plan states the once-fractured relationship between LPS and the Lethbridge Police Association has been rebuilt.

LPS Chief Shahin Mehdizadeh told the SPC that he came into the role in August 2020 fully aware that there were problems in the police service that would need to be addressed. He says he welcomed the opportunity to complete the action plan.

“It gave us an opportunity to compile all the initiatives we had already put in place, to be able to convince the minister and his staffers that we were already engaged on that front of rebuilding, and ensure them that we are on the right track,” says Mehdizadeh.

The police chief adds, “It still validated to even our employees and the public that we were on the right track, that we were making the changes that were needed, from toxicity in the organization to rebuilding our brand and moving forward.”

LPC Chair Rob Van Spronsen says he feels good about how far the police service has come over the last few years of rebuilding efforts and has confidence in the future.

“The police service of 2017 is not the same as it is now in 2022. It’s a growing city and the police service is growing with it and we need to keep on top of that,” says Van Spronsen.

Minister Shandro closed his letter by stating that, while he is pleased with the plan and the progress made to date, “this must not be the end of work to ensure the organization is effective, ethical, and accountable to its community.”

“It is paramount that the people of Lethbridge should always have confidence in their police service,” says Shandro.

The Lethbridge Police Service Action Plan 2022 can be read in full on the City of Lethbridge website.

by David Opinko

Justice minister pleased with Lethbridge Police action plan

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