The foundation of the Medicine Hat Police Service Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan is the belief that a diverse and inclusive organization will be stronger, more resilient and responsive to the needs of the community.
Striving to be an organization where all employees feel valued, respected and supported, requires focus and continued investment over several years in an effort to reach the goal of recruiting, developing and retaining a diverse workforce, representative of the community we serve.
Recognizing that the paradigm shift from “cultural fit” to one of “diversity and inclusion” will require more than well-intentioned policies and programs, the MHPS through this plan commits to clearly defined objectives, actions and deliverables to ensure progress centered around two main themes as follows:
1. Police Service Delivery
External focus on providing accessible, responsive and responsible policing services to all people in the community.
2. People and Process
Internal focus on ensuring equitable employment opportunities are available to all employees in an environment that is respectful and free of harassment and discrimination, and that organizational processes and policies represent and support the equity, diversity and inclusion strategy
Themes for Action
The plan sets out two strategic themes for action, which provide the framework for improving performance, and for delivering specific EDI results.
- Police Service Delivery:
The fundamental purpose of the MHPS is to serve and protect the community. To accomplish this, we must be aware of the needs of various groups to ensure we are providing accessible and responsible policing services to all people in the community equitably. Community stakeholders including; service organizations for persons with disabilities, immigration services, housing and social service agencies, local school communities and justice community partners were involved in the development of the objectives and actions under this theme in an effort to increase awareness of potential gaps in service.
It is recognized that continual effort must be made to ensure the MHPS stays connected to the community to be aware of and respond to issues or concerns. There are a variety of ways the MHPS can accomplish this both formally and informally. Informally the MHPS will continue to collaborate with community partners and stakeholders to maintain and expand a network of relationships. The MHPS will use a variety of communication tools to share information about our activities and community safety concerns.
The MHPS commits to the following activities to enhance service delivery to the community: click here to view
2. People and Process
Internal focus on ensuring equitable career opportunities are available to all employees in an environment that is respectful and free of harassment and discrimination, and that organizational processes and policies are representative and supportive of the equity, diversity and inclusion strategy.
The MHPS commits to the following activities to improve the workplace culture: click here to view