Lethbridge’s Chief of Police has been found not guilty in connection to allegations made of discreditable conduct under the Police Service Regulation.
According to the Lethbridge Police Commission, they have concluded the disciplinary hearing for Chief Shahin Mehdizadeh and after reviewing all evidence and testimony, the presiding officer of the commission found “none of the allegations had been proven on a balance of probabilities.”
The investigation stemmed from an incident in March of 2021 when the chief took the Lethbridge Police Service Chaplain out for a bowl of soup. According to a statement from the Lethbridge Police Service, the pair were masked and properly socially distanced throughout the 20 to 30-minute meeting. Officials say at the time because of the amount of time the Chaplain spent at the police station, the Chief believed he was part of his cohort. The commission recognized this as an unintended breach of public health orders and according to presiding officers Brett Carlson was not misconduct warranting disciplinary sanction
“A moment of carelessness or error in judgment does not, by itself, constitute discreditable conduct requiring discipline” Carlson says. “The Chief acknowledged his mistake, apologized to his executive officers, and promised not to do it again. There is no allegation that such a repetition ever occurred. There was no evidence of malicious intent or meaningful moral culpability in the Chief’s actions.”
In a written statement read by Carlson it was determined the Chief did not intend to breach the public health order, provided an apology when approached about it and was not an incident that was repeated.
“There was no evidence of malicious intent or meaningful moral culpability,” the statement read. “A moment of carelessness or error in judgment does not, by itself, constitute discreditable conduct requiring discipline.”
“I find that a dispassionate, reasonable person, fully apprised of the circumstances would conclude that the Chief did not do anything prejudicial to discipline or likely to bring discredit on the reputation of the police service.”
There were three allegations that were addressed during the hearing, one of which was withdrawn ahead of the April 17th proceedings.
The allegations come from a letter sent in 2022 from the former Deputy Chief, outlining a complaint to the Minister of Justice about the conduct of the chief.
Im a statement Mehdizadeh says he has received overwhelming support from the members of not just the police service but the community and is humbled and grateful.
“After a comprehensive and transparent process, including a public hearing, the complaints against me by my former Deputy Chief, were dismissed,” he says. “Since leaving LPS in 2022, after a short period of time working together, the former Deputy Chief has made numerous allegations and complaints against me. None have been substantiated, and several have been dismissed outright as frivolous and vexatious.”
The police chief says now the commission has made their decision he is closing this chapter and is moving forward, focused on continuing to work to strengthen and support the Lethbridge community. Mehdizadeh says he will make no further comment on this situation.
