The Lethbridge Police Service, formerly known as the Lethbridge Regional Police Service, was established 1902, and serves the city of Lethbridge, a community in southern Alberta of approximately 101,482 in its 2019 municipal census.
History
The Lethbridge Police Force was established in 1902 with a staff of two constables and served a population of about 2,000. Thomas "the Just" Lewis was appointed the chief of police. In 2009, the police service employed 155 officers, 47 civilian staff and over 40 civilian volunteers, and served a population of 92,435. Two officers have been killed in the line of duty, Acting Sergeant Paul Smith in 1913 and Constable Cal Byam in 1964.[citation needed]
On May 4, 2020, a video of a 19-year-old woman dressed in a Star Wars stormtrooper uniform being taken down and arrested by Lethbridge police gained international attention.[1][2] The woman was carrying a toy Star Wars blaster on Star Wars Day in front of a Star Wars themed restaurant.[3] The Lethbridge Police Service and the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team initiated an investigation into the incident. The investigation concluded in December 2020, and resulted in no criminal charges against the involved officers.[1] A further external investigation cleared the officers of any wrongdoing.[3]
In July 2020, two members of the Lethbridge Police Service were demoted for inappropriately using their police jobs in 2017 to follow and photograph Alberta NDP MLA Shannon Phillips, then the Minister of Environment and Parks of Alberta. Phillips was in the process of meeting with stakeholders in the lead-up to the formation of Castle Provincial Park, where the two officers had an interest in off-road vehicle driving. One of the officers took photos of the meeting and ran a police check on the stakeholder; the photo was later published on Facebook under a pseudonym alongside criticism of the NDP government. After an investigation by the Medicine Hat Police Service, charges were laid against the two officers, who admitted to the misconduct charges.[4]
Lethbridge Regional Police Commission
The service is governed by a nine-person commission composed of three members of the Lethbridge City Council and six citizens. The commission oversees the service, allocates funds from the council and establishes policing policies. They provide instruction to the police chief regarding sufficient staffing levels.
Organization
The head of the service is Chief Robert A. Davis, who has over 28 years of policing experience, primarily in Ontario. The executive officers heading the service's four divisions are Inspector Tom Ascroft, Inspector Colin Catonio, Inspector Jeff Cove, and Inspector Bill Kaye.
Rank
The rank structure consists of the following:
RANKS
Chief of police
Deputy chief
Inspector
Staff sergeant
Sergeant
Senior constable
Constable
Insignia
No insignia
Training
As of 2005, newly hired officers must complete the Police Recruit Training Program through the Centre for Advancement in Community Justice, located at the Lethbridge College.
Structure
The organization of the police service includes four divisions: community policing, criminal investigation, administrative support and support services.
Community policing
The community policing division is mandated to maintain the peace, protect life and property, and the prevention and detection of crime. It is composed of the following units:
Patrol services
Downtown policing
Traffic safety
Court liaison
Community resource
Victim services
Criminal investigation
The criminal investigation division provides support services to ongoing investigations through the dissemination of intelligence and investigation assistance. Units in the division include:
Violent crime
Forensic identification
Crime analysis
Property crime
Serious habitual offenders
Special operations
Criminal intelligence
Economic crime
National weapons enforcement
Gaming and liquor enforcement
Administrative support
The administrative support division oversees the following areas:
Human resources
Professional standards
Policy and accreditation
Property and exhibits
Business management
Support services
The support services division provides support to all other divisions as required, including a specialized response to ongoing crises and ensuring the continuous flow of information. This division includes:
Officers were equipped with SIG Sauer P226 pistols in .40 S&W. In 2019, Lethbridge Police Service purchased Glock 17 Gen 5's in 9mm to replace the P226.
