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Medicine Hat Police Service Chief Alan Murphy comments on its Policing and Community Safety Survey. (Photo: CHAT News Today)

Medicine Hat residents feel less safe going downtown: survey

Feb 27, 2024 | 8:18 AM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – An increasing amount of Medicine Hat residents say they are uncomfortable or afraid of going downtown, according to a survey presented to the police commission.

In the 2023 Medicine Hat Policing and Community Safety Survey, 54 per cent of respondents polled shared their concern, which is up from 29 per cent in 2021.

Medicine Hat Police Chief Alan Murphy said he feels the numbers can be attributed to what is playing out in downtowns across North America. He described there being more people who are suffering from mental health and addiction issues and those who do not have a place to live.

“What we plan to do this year coming up, we’re already starting to work with our partners so we can have a better plan going forward,” Murphy said.

He added, “This is not just a police issue, it’s not just a housing issue. I think all of our partners, we need to come together so we can solve the issue or work towards solutions so people can feel safer downtown.”

Murphy said the Medicine Hat Police Service is in talks with a number of organizations, including Community Housing, the fire service, Alberta Health Services and other stakeholders about what to do.

He stated that this is an issue that needs to be fixed.

“I think some communities could say it’s everywhere so it it can’t be fixed,” Murphy said. “I think it can be fixed and I like the attitude, community always has an attitude of working together and making it better.”

“That’s awesome, so that’s what the intention is to do this summer.”

Medicine Hat’s downtown has a designated patrol unit, which includes a sergeant and two constables.

City council discussed at its most recent meeting increasing the number of officers on the downtown patrol unit, but nothing was formally proposed.

“Any time if we were to add resources, that would be new resources, that’s something we have to go to council for,” Murphy said.

“If I use it from resources that we have existing in house, that means I have to stop doing something else to make that happen. So we have to determine the best way forward,” he added.

“The good news is that this is a budget year. We will be going before council in the fall of 2024. So I think that’s a good thing. So those are things we’ll be looking at for certain.”

Council budget talks will start in the fall.

A similar survey by the Lethbridge Police Service in 2023 found that 65 per cent of respondents rated the city as safe. Every time the survey was conducted between 2006 and 2019, those numbers were between 92 and 96 per cent.

READ MORE: Lethbridge residents support LPS, but feelings of safety falling

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