MEDICINE HAT
POLICE SERVICE

MEDIA RELEASE

05-026467
Media Interest
2005-10-31 16:36 -
MEDIA NOTIFICATION
850-900 2 ST SE

Text Release Date and Time: 2005-10-31 16

Medicine Hat Police Service launches
2005 Policing & Safety Survey

MEDICINE HAT, October 31, 2005 - On Friday, November 4, 2005 the Medicine Hat Police Service launches a two-week long survey campaign, asking citizens about policing and safety in the City of Medicine Hat.

"Our goal is to understand and respond to current public input about crime and safety in our city," said Inspector Andy McGrogan, Medicine Hat Police Service. "We live in a great city and we're working with residents to keep it that way."

9000 surveys will be distributed to every third resident in the City from Friday November 4th to Friday November 18, 2005. The survey content was developed with input from committee members within the service in consultation with the City of Medicine Hat through the Police Commission. The Police Service has retained the Services of Wuerscher and Associates, firm located in Calgary to assist in the compilation of the survey and the analyzing of results.

80 students from the Medicine Hat College Law & Security Program have volunteered to hand deliver the survey to representative samples from all communities within the city limits. These students will be identified by an I.D. card prominently displayed around their necks.

"We're very excited to be partnering with the MHC Law & Security Program," added Inspector McGrogan, who is managing this outreach project from inception to completion. "Working with the MHC program means that our officers continue to focus on policing while local students get the opportunity to add to their practical knowledge base. It's very likely that we'll be seeing some of these students on the police force in the near future."

Residents are invited to complete the survey at their convenience and return by postage-paid mail, postmarked no later than November 30, 2005.

To maintain survey integrity, only residents selected through the random methodology have the opportunity to participate in the survey. For more information, residents are asked to call the Inspector Andy McGrogan at (403) 529-8410.

The Medicine Hat Police Service expects to have the results compiled by January 15th, 2006 and will report back to the community in the New Year. Please call 529-8416 for any further information.